[Tlhingan-hol] Use of {net}

[Felix Malmenbeck]

> It's not a "real" Question-As-Object, it does not mean "you want that
> what_do_you_drink".

The way I think about it is: A nuq/'Iv/ghorgh/chay' question is sort of a fill-in-the-blank statement, whether you're using one sentence or two.

Single sentence:
Q = nuq Datlhutlh
You drink WHAT?
Prompt: Replace {nuq} with a noun such that Q is a true statement.

Two sentences:
Q = nuq Datlhutlh DaneH
You want to drink WHAT?
Prompt: Replace {nuq} with a noun such that Q is a true statement.


With {DaneH}, these are fairly straightforward. However, it gets a bit weird with some verbs, such as {Sov}.

nuq tlhutlh 'e' DaSov
You know that she/he drinks WHAT?

This doesn't mean "You know what she/he is drinking", but rather, it seems to communicate the idea of "I know that you know that she/he is drinking, but what is it you know that she/he drinks?"


'Iv chotta' 'e' DaSaH
You care whether she/he has murdered WHOM?

This doesn't mean "You care whom she/he has murdered.", but rather, it's a question as to which murders concern you.

{martaq chotta' 'e' vISaHbe' 'a DuraS chotta' 'e' vISaH.}

________________________________________
From: Lieven [levinius at gmx.de]
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 10:11
To: tlhingan-hol at stodi.digitalkingdom.org
Subject: Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Use of {net}

ja' vay':
> I believe the only example we have of a question being used as an object
> is {nuq Datlhutlh DaneH?}, and here it's important to note that the
> whole two-sentence construction is also a question. "I know you want to
> drink, but what?"

Yes, correctly. I don't know the correct linguistic definition of that,
but it seems that the entire thing is a question. You could replace
{DaneH} with {-qang} to show what I (and you) mean:

nuq Datlhutlhqang - what are you willing to drink?

It's not a "real" Question-As-Object, it does not mean "you want that
what_do_you_drink".

It fits more to the rule that a question word fits the gap of the answer:

{'Iv Dalegh DaneH?}
{Qov vIlegh vIneH.}

Tuesday.

--
Lieven L. Litaer
aka Quvar valer 'utlh
http://www.facebook.com/Klingonteacher


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