[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: nap

[SuStel]

On 3/4/2016 4:19 AM, mayql qunenoS wrote:
> jIH:
>> jaghmeyma' DItojmeH Dujmaj wIchoH 'ej Duj napqu' rur 'oH 'e' wIchav.
>> in order to deceive our enemies we changed our ship and we achieved
>> that it resembles a very simple vessel.
> SuStel:
>> jaghpu'ma'
>> Try leaving off the plural suffix when you don't need it to make clear the number of the noun.
>
> This confuses me a litlle ; ok, yes the chosen plural suffix was
> wrong, and I should have used the {-pu'}. However if I wrote {jaghma'
> DItojmeH}, wouldn't that translate to <in order to deceive our enemy>
> ?

Most of the time the plural suffix is entirely optional in Klingon. I 
try to use it only when the distinction between singular and plural 
NEEDS to be made clear. It's only our native language biases that cause 
us to use it all the time.

The only time the plural suffix is required is when you're using the 
construction {Hoch X}. If X is marked as plural, it means "all Xs, taken 
as a whole." If X is not marked as plural, it means "each X, taken 
individually."

Although Okrand doesn't say this, I suspect this also applies with other 
number-like modifiers. I believe it also applies to {HochHom X} and {'op 
X}, for instance.

> SuStel:
>> SuvwI'vaD lo'laHbe' may' nap
>> a simple battle is worthless to a warrior
>> simple battles are worthless to warriors
>
> This confuses me ; how is it possible for the {SuvwI'vaD lo'laHbe'
> may' nap} phrase to be both singular and plural at the same time ?

It's not so much that it is both; it's more like it could be either, and 
the distinction isn't important. The statement is true whether the 
subject and object are singular or plural.

Remember that your English translation is just a translation. In your 
head you may be thinking, "I didn't use a plural suffix on this noun 
because plurals are optional, but I mean for this noun to be plural," 
but your listener doesn't have that information. They only have what's 
in your sentence. In {SuvwI'vaD lo'laHbe' may' nap}, there is no 
indication whether the nouns are meant to be singular or plural, and it 
doesn't MATTER whether they're singular or plural—the sentence expresses 
the same idea in any combination.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name