[Tlhingan-hol] Interactions between verb suffixes

[De'vID]

De'vID:
>> Some suffixes affect "the action" itself: {-choH}, {-qa'}, {-moH},
>> {-laH}, {-lu'}. {-moH} is a bit weird because the subject of the verb
>> with this suffix is not the subject of the verb without it. {-lu'} is
>> even weirder because it changes the roles of the subject and object.
>> Some other suffixes change what/who the action is being done to:
>> {-'egh}, {-chuq}. Some express something about the speaker or the
>> listener: {-chu'}, {-bej'}, {-law'}, {-ba'}, {-neS}.

SuStel:
> I'm not sure why you included {-laH} in the list of suffixes that affect
> "the action." {-laH} doesn't have a definition in TKD beyond "can, able,"
> along with some examples. Based on the examples, and the title "ability" in
> the name of the Type 5 category, I would assume that {-laH} says something
> about the subject, not the action. Likewise, {-lu'} and {-moH} only have to
> do with defining the role of the subject; the action itself remains the same
> with or without these suffixes.

I think mostly a desire to keep {-lu'} and {-laH} together due to a
reluctance to consider that two suffixes of one type may exhibit
different behaviours in interaction with another suffix.

However, TKD does say that "The two suffixes of Type 5 have nothing
much to do with each other except for both being Type 5." So it's
probably justified to treat them differently.

We have a canon example of {-choH} with {-laH} on TKW p.177:
{wa' jaj 'etlh 'uchchoHlaH tlhIngan puqloD; jajvetlh loD nen moj}
"The son of a Klingon is a man the day he can first hold a blade."

Here, {'uchchoHlaH} is translated as "can first hold", i.e., "begins
to be able to hold". {-laH} indicates ability. {-choH} indicates a
change in state. So {'uchchoHlaH} means "he is able to hold (whereas
he wasn't able to hold before)".

Possibly in another context it can be translated as "is able to begin
to hold", i.e., "he is able to hold (whereas he wasn't holding
before)", though I don't see a big difference between the two
translations. Maybe someone can come up with an example using another
verb that makes the difference more striking.

-- 
De'vID