[Tlhingan-hol] being capable of language suffix class - property of noun, or referent?

[David Trimboli]

On 5/10/2012 4:46 AM, Lieven Litaer wrote:
>
> ghel De'vID:
>> I guess the question is, is it the noun that determines the suffix
>> class, or the referent of that noun?
>
> Without checking any book, I say: when in doubt, always the noun.
> In this case, a "choice" is not a person, even when referring to it.
>
> On proof for this is the slang expression {Ho'} for "hero, idol", which
> will be {Ho'Du'} and {Ho'wIj} even when used to refer to a person.

There are many examples of this. Another is how pot handles are called 
{DeSqIvDu'}, even though they're not body parts.

Using a word or suffix appropriate to the referent instead of the noun 
may not be wrong, but it will call strong attention to what you've done.

-- 
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/