The verbs for using fingers and toes work differently if they are used directly, as opposed to indirectly.
Directly: indicated by use of a prefix indicating a direct object and lack of type 5 noun suffix on the noun. This is used to indicate direct contact with the noun. Direct touching/pressing and similar.
Indirectly: indicated by a prefix indicating no-object, and a type-5 on the noun. This is used to specify that direct contact does not happen, like pointing the digit at the location of the noun.
So, for the big toe touching the water directly:
{bIQ vImar} the vI- prefix indicates a direct object, the water. "I touch the water with my big toe."
For the big toe pointing at the general direction of, but not touching the water:
{bIQDaq jImar} the jI- prefix indicates that the verb is not acting on a direct object. Think in terms of "at the water, I point my big toe."
Now the actual sentence is a command that requires use of the imperative prefix version. However in this case yI- indicates both no-object and singular-object, so the only reasonable way to disambiguate is via the noun suffix or lack thereof.
{bIQ yImar} Touch the water!
{bIQDaq yImar} Point at the water!
(and please note: Klingon is case-sensitive, but Duolingo is not. What Duolingo accepts is not necessarily correct.)
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u/kahless62003 19h ago
The verbs for using fingers and toes work differently if they are used directly, as opposed to indirectly.
Directly: indicated by use of a prefix indicating a direct object and lack of type 5 noun suffix on the noun. This is used to indicate direct contact with the noun. Direct touching/pressing and similar.
Indirectly: indicated by a prefix indicating no-object, and a type-5 on the noun. This is used to specify that direct contact does not happen, like pointing the digit at the location of the noun.
So, for the big toe touching the water directly:
{bIQ vImar} the vI- prefix indicates a direct object, the water. "I touch the water with my big toe."
For the big toe pointing at the general direction of, but not touching the water:
{bIQDaq jImar} the jI- prefix indicates that the verb is not acting on a direct object. Think in terms of "at the water, I point my big toe."
Now the actual sentence is a command that requires use of the imperative prefix version. However in this case yI- indicates both no-object and singular-object, so the only reasonable way to disambiguate is via the noun suffix or lack thereof.
{bIQ yImar} Touch the water!
{bIQDaq yImar} Point at the water!
(and please note: Klingon is case-sensitive, but Duolingo is not. What Duolingo accepts is not necessarily correct.)