[Tlhingan-hol] How would you feel about new Klingon morphemes? [was: New expression: Klingon for "dim sum" revealed‏]

[lojmIt tI'wI' nuv]

The argument that Klingons aren't abstract is made against a straw man. I haven't seen that argument presented here. It may be reasonable to suggest that Klingon abstraction might not map 1:1 with human abstraction. In particular, I see no reason to insist that a Klingon would say "At death I realized," instead of {jIHeghDI' jItlhojpu'...} or more abstractly {Heghlu'DI' jItlhojpu...}.

If I have not satisfied your abstraction very well it's because your example is very incomplete, leaving me to guess what your completed thought would have been. 

As for laziness, consider whether it is easier to express an idea in any secondary language, or skip that and just complain because the language hasn't modified itself to make a particular expression easier to make. 

Klingon is not the only language to fail to differentiate between inclusive and exclusive first person plural. Most languages don't. English doesn't. Yet that was recently on the complaint list here for Klingon. Other languages lack irrealis. So?

Klingon lacks a word for the tear shaped flap of skin hanging from the back of the roof of the mouth, but somehow we will survive. English has that word, but 99.9% of its speakers don't know the word, so it is rarely useful. 

So, you can think of clever things that Klingon could have that it lacks. Bully for you. Why don't you start from scratch, like Okrand did, and see if you can come up with a language that is half as versatile, expressive, and interesting as Klingon. 

I dare you. 

The Klingon language is a masterpiece. Stop trying to add your little piece of graffiti to it. Learn to use it well, or go make up something more to your liking, and then try to find a group of people willing to learn how to speak it. 

I find it awkward that we don't have an adjectival verb for "be fast". I whine about it now and then, but I don't get indignant about it or insult anyone who claims that we are okay without it. 

Sent from my iPod
> On Apr 28, 2016, at 4:00 AM, mayqel qunenoS <mihkoun at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> De'vID:
>> What sense of "at death" do you have in mind
>> that can't be expressed as {HeghDI'}, {Heghmo'}
> 
> the abstract sense that is conveyed by the phrase "at death I
> realized.." ; now, I know that someone is ready to hit reply and say
> "klingons aren't abstract", but this constant argument "klingons
> aren't this and that", insults my intelligence.
> 
> a. klngons don't exist
> b. if they did, one would expect from a species which attained space
> travel to be able to express abstract ideas too.
> 
> I can accept the argument that nothing and noone is perfect. I can
> accept the argument that 'oqranD, of course couldn't invent a language
> which would contain everything anyone could ever desire. but the
> argument "klingons wouldn't do that", is the money laundring
> linguistic equivalent of "we don't want to admit that there are things
> missing, so we will just keep making up lame excuses to compensate".
> 
> lojmIt tI'wI' nuv:
>> so I wouldn’t have to work quite as hard to express things.
> 
> lojmIt tI'wI' nuv, you -and many others here- (Qov, SuStel, De'vID,
> voragh, lieven etc) have earned my respect and gratitude, for the fact
> that you were patient enough to teach me. If it weren't for you all,
> now I would know nothing.
> 
> however I can't realize the reason as a result of which, every time an
> argument starts, eventually I will hear : "because you don't want to
> work hard you ask whatever". it is getting ridiculous. if someone
> doesn't agree, then I expect to read his reasons. I expect to read his
> arguments. And if he convinces me, I will be the first to say "I was
> wrong, you're right".
> 
> I believe I have demonstrated on numerous occasions that I do admit my
> mistakes, and that I do change as long as people's arguments convince
> me. On this subject however, I will not be convinced from arguments
> like "klingons don't say that" or "because you're lazy you're asking".
> 
> so, right now, because l choose to remember all those times you had
> the patience of teaching me, I will not continue on this thread any
> further.
> 
> I will choose instead to cloak my cube and navigate away from this
> "new Klingon morphemes" constellation.
> 
> mIv Hurgh qunnoq
> you have some stuffed to'baj leg in your teeth
> 
>> On Wed, Apr 27, 2016 at 4:50 PM, De'vID <de.vid.jonpin at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On 27 April 2016 at 09:52, mayqel qunenoS <mihkoun at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I would love to have a suffix to express the concept "at death" since
>>> I can't use the {-Daq} for this purpose.
>> 
>> What sense of "at death" do you have in mind that can't be expressed
>> as {HeghDI'}, {Heghmo'}, a fighting verb plus {-chu'}, {ghIqtal}, or
>> other existing grammar or vocabulary?
>> 
>> --
>> De'vID
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Tlhingan-hol mailing list
> Tlhingan-hol at kli.org
> http://mail.kli.org/mailman/listinfo/tlhingan-hol