Archive of Okrandian Canon
| Author | Marc Okrand |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 November 1999 |
| Summary | On ghIq, ngugh and tagha’. |
| Title | Re: And then...? And then...? (And then along came Jones...) - For MO |
| Type | newsgroup posting |
From: Marc Okrand
Newsgroups: startrek.klingon
Date: Friday, November 05, 1999 01:39 AM
Subject: Re: And then...? And then...? (And then along came Jones...) - For MO
Mark E. Shoulson wrote in message <3803FADC.7E49AEE5@kli.org>...
>We now have {ghIq}, meaning "then" in the sense of
>"subsequently..." That is, after the last thing happened,
>this happened; emphasizing the sequential aspect of the
>narrative. But having that, what about another kind of
>"then"? Something like a temporal analogue to {pa'}:
>"then" in the sense of "at that time." We have something
>like this with {-DI'}, but that requires a verb or clause
>which isn't always necessarily available or convenient.
>Maybe there's something idiomatic with {-DI'}? Or an
>adverb?
Yes and yes. There is an adverbial which means "then" in the sense of "at that time" (as opposed to "subsequently"). And there is also an idiom meaning something like "by that time."
The adverbial is (ngugh}. It is used mainly to emphasize that a particular event occurred at the same time as something else, though {ngugh} doesn't indicate what that time is. Something else in the discussion makes that clear. {ngugh} does not mean "at some (vague) time in the past" or "at some (unknown) time in the future."
For example:
(1) vagh SanID ben buDbe' wamwI'pu'. ngugh Ho'Du'chaj lo' chaH, 'ach DaH tajmey lo'.
"5,000 years ago, hunters were not lazy. Then (at that time) they used their teeth, but now they use knives."
({vagh SanID} "5,000," {ben} "years ago," {buD} "be lazy," {-be'} "not," {wamwI'pu'} "hunters"; {ngugh} "then," {Ho'Du'chaj} "their teeth", {chaH} "they," {'ach} "but," {DaH} "now," {tajmey} "knives," {lo'} "they use")
(2) DungluQ tIHIv. ngugh Qongbe' chaH.
"Attack them at noon! They won't be sleeping then." (or: "Attack them at noon. They're not sleeping then.")
({DungluQ} "noon," {tIHIv} "attack them! [imperative]"; {ngugh} "then," {Qong} "they sleep," {-be'} "not," {chaH} "they")
Note that in each case {ngugh} "then" refers to a time specified earlier in the discussion (here, "5,000 years ago" and "noon"). In the second example, the adverbial {ngugh} could be left out, and the basic meaning could still be the same ("Attack them at noon! They won't be sleeping.") With {ngugh}, however, the speaker is emphasizing the time element. The first example also could be recast without {ngugh} (for example, the second sentence could be two: {Ho'Du'chaj lo' chaH. DaH tajmey lo'.} "They used their teeth. Now they use knives."). With {ngugh}, however, the contrast between "then" and "now" is highlighted.
The time reference need not occur in the immediately preceding sentence or clause (as it does in the examples above); it could be earlier in the discourse.
Since {ngugh} points to or refers back to a previously established time reference, if that time reference is not clear (or is missing), an utterance containing {ngugh} would not make much sense. If someone asks "When?" after hearing a sentence containing {ngugh}, unless the question resulted from inattentiveness, {ngugh} was probably used inappropriately.
In addition to {ngugh}, there is an idiomatic expression involving the suffix {-DI'} "when, as soon as" used to mean "by that time, by the time that [something] occurred (or will occur)." The event that has occurred (or will occur) is typically expressed in the immediately preceding sentence or clause, though it could have been uttered earlier.
The idiom is found in two forms. The shorter (and more frequently heard) version is the single word {pumDI'} "when it falls" ({pum} "fall" [that is, "fall down" or "fall off of something"], {-DI'} "when"). The longer version consists of {pumDI'} followed by a subject noun specifying what falls. The most common noun heard is {'etlh} "sword, blade" (thus: {pumDI' 'etlh}, literally "when the blade falls"). Presumably the expression originally referred to a fight between two combatants wielding bladed weapons. The time at which one of them dropped the weapon and was thus defeated (or was as good as defeated) was a significant moment.
Some speakers, however, are rather creative and use nouns other than {'etlh}. For example: {pumDI' DaS} "when the boot falls," {pumDI' 'obmaQ} "when the ax falls," {pumDI' nagh} "when the stone falls," {pumDI' rutlh} "when the wheel falls." There seems to be no restriction on what noun may be used here, as long as it is something that could possibly fall. (Thus {pumDI' QoQ} "when the music falls" would not be used.)
Choosing one noun or another to use in the idiomatic phrase is a form of word play. Depending on the topic being discussed, the noun could add a touch of irony or even humor. In any event, the choice of noun does not change the idiomatic meaning of the phrase. {pumDI' X}, where X is the subject noun, is used to mean "by then, by that time."
The idiom might be used when talking about a feast that had taken place a few nights ago. If a guest arrived late --after the eating had already begun -- one might say something like:
tagha' pawpu' meb 'ach pumDI' Heghpu' qagh.
or:
tagha' pawpu' meb 'ach pumDI' 'etlh Heghpu' qagh.
"The guest finally arrived, but by then the gagh had died."
({tagha'} "finally, at last," {pawpu'} "he/she has arrived," {meb} "guest," {'ach} "but," {pumDI' ('etlh)} "by then," {Heghpu'} "it has died," {qagh} "gagh")
Unlike subordinate clauses in general, {pumDI' X}, when used idiomatically, always precedes the main clause ({Heghpu' qagh} in the example above). When idiomatic usage is not involved, subordinate clauses may either precede or follow the main clause.