[Tlhingan-hol] "Who are you?"

[David Trimboli]

On 6/5/2013 11:38 AM, Ruben Molina wrote:
> There is an interesting discussion about this contradiction between
> the dictionary and the tape in "{'Iv} and {nuq} as Pronouns" by
> Captain Krankor.
>
> «Remember, categories such as "pronoun," "question word," "adverbial,"
> and the like are convenient classification added by _terran_
> scholars.  Klingon grammarians classify _all_ such words as *chuvmey*,
> "leftovers." So, *jIH*, *SoH*, and *maH* are the same type of words as
> *'Iv* and *nuq* and it would seem completely reasonable for them to
> behave similarly.» — "{'Iv} and {nuq} as Pronouns",  "The Grammarian's
> Desk",  p.24–25.

Klingon grammarians classify words one way; Terran grammarians classify 
them another way. Each is just a system of classification; the system 
may or may not reflect actual usage. Here Krankor is clearly 
oversimplifying. {'ej} is also one of the {chuvmey}, but no one expects 
it to be able to behave as a pronoun or an adverbial.

However, there is a point to be made: the Terran grammarians' categories 
of "question word" and "pronoun" are not mutually exclusive. {'Iv} and 
{nuq} are clearly both, as they stand in for nouns and may be used 
verbally. {nuqDaq} may be both as well, given sentences like {nuqDaq 
puchpa'}, though this sort of thing may also be interpreted as clipped 
speech. {ghorgh} may stand in for a noun referring to time, or it may 
refer to a relative clause referring to time. {chay'} and {qatlh} don't 
seem to stand in for anything at all, unless it's a word with {-mo'}.

The important thing to remember is that the term "pronoun" when 
referring to Klingon infers a certain kind of verbiness, and that 
certain words that are not labeled as pronouns in the dictionary are 
nonetheless pronouns.

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