[Tlhingan-hol] Conversational klingon and the use of {nuq}

[Lieven]

Am 29.05.2016 um 13:19 schrieb mayqel qunenoS:
> <What is your number, Terran?> {nuq mI'lIj, tera'ngan.}
> <What is this place?> {Daqvam nuq.}
> <What is this?> {Dochvam nuq.}

These phrases are indeed controversary and have caused some discussions 
before.

> Are CK's examples clipped klingon or something ?

Clipped Klingon is always a good explanation, that's why Okrand 
initially "invented" it .  :-)

I'm not sure where I got that from, but I seem to remember that in this 
case, {nuq} works here just like pronouns do: {SoH} can be "you" but 
also "you are". So nuq mean "what (is)".

{Daqvam nuq.} = "what (is) this place?"
{Dochvam nuq.} = "what (is) this thing"

Just like in {tera'ngan ghaH} = "He (is) a terran"

Well, now following that logic, then it should be {mI'lIj nuq}, but then 
maybe there is a rule it can be reversed?

Just some thoughts about that. I'm not sure about the basics of all what 
I just wrote. DapollaH pagh DapolHa'laH.


-- 
Lieven L. Litaer
aka Quvar valer 'utlh
Grammarian of the KLI
http://www.facebook.com/Klingonteacher
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