[Tlhingan-hol] Objects with -moH

[Alan Anderson]

On Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 2:48 AM, Robyn Stewart <robyn at flyingstart.ca> wrote:
> ---
> Things can get more complicated when –moH is used on a verb that could
> already take an object. This is an area where we don't have all the answers.

We might actually have all the answers we need. It's just that we
don't know which of the competing answers is the "right" one. :-)

"This is an area where we don't have an obviously correct answer. The
proposed theories don't all describe the underlying grammar in
compatible ways."

> ...But what is the object of ghojmoH?
> [...]
> Maybe it can be either. We have other tools for indicating the second object
> of the verb, but they, and a full discussion of this question, are beyond
> the scope of this course. The purpose of this digression is to explain why
> this course doesn't include instructions on using such objects, and to give
> you some insight into how we know things about the Klingon language.

I think that states the situation very well. [The phrasing
"instructions on using such objects" seems a little off. My style
would have said "instructions on how to use" or "instructions for
using", but I don't think it's a big deal.]

You implied that you wish to warn the student to avoid the problem for
now. Perhaps you could make that warning explicit. "Since we can't
tell you with authority the proper way to use {-moH} in cases like
this, you will be better off avoiding it at first. That way you can
learn the correct usage of the things we do know how to teach, without
being distracted by the debates among other students of Klingon
language."

-- ghunchu'wI'