[Tlhingan-hol] {-moH}

[SuStel]

On 11/22/2015 12:19 PM, lojmIt tI'wI' nuv 'utlh wrote:
> It’s interesting that you’d mark my term “agent of causation” as a
> problem, and then replace it with “causer”, which is mysteriously
> less of a problem.

You didn't say "agent of causation," you said "object of causation."

That IS a big difference.

> You are saying that unlike any other verb suffix, {-moH} changes the
> action of the verb. Now, the verb is not doing the action of the root
> verb. It’s doing the causing of the action of what is now a different
> verb. So, {ghojmoH} does not actually mean “cause to learn”.
> {ghojmoH} now actually MEANS “teach”. So, any object of the verb
> “teach” is the valid object of {ghojmoH}.

I'm not saying that at all.

I'm saying that the verb is and has always been "learn." The addition of 
{-moH} changes the roles of the nouns attached to the verb. The correct 
nouns to use, whether {-moH} is used or not, is based on the appropriate 
set of roles.

> It’s not that I don’t understand this. I just don’t like it. No other
> suffix acts like this, changing the nature of the objects of the root
> verb on which they are attached.

{-moH} doesn't do that either, because there's no such thing as the 
"objects of the root verb."

The very purpose of {-moH} is to change the roles of its nouns so that 
the subject represents the causer. This doesn't change the meaning of 
the verb in any way. {ghoj} means *someone* learns *something*. Adding 
{-moH} doesn't change this: *someone* still learns *something*; it's 
just now we're taking over the subject position to indicate who *caused* 
that to happen. The other roles are fulfilled by the object and other 
nouns at the front, which may or may not change depending on which roles 
are needed.

Hol ghoj tlhIngan
the Klingon learns the language

    Syntax:
    <object> ghoj <subject>

    Semantics:
    <theme> ghoj <agent>


Hol vIghojmoH
I teach the language

    Syntax:
    <object> ghojmoH <subject>

    Semantics:
    <theme> ghojmoH <causer>


tlhInganvaD Hol vIghojmoH
I teach the Klingon the language

    Syntax:
    <other nouns> <object> ghojmoH <subject>

    Semantics:
    <agent>vaD <theme> ghojmoH <causer>


tlhIngan vIghojmoH
I teach the Klingon

    Syntax:
    <object> ghojmoH <subject>

    Semantics:
    <agent> ghojmoH <causer>

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