tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jun 27 10:12:34 1994
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Re: jatlhwI' po'be'
- From: [email protected] (Matt Whiteacre)
- Subject: Re: jatlhwI' po'be'
- Date: Mon, 27 Jun 94 19:09:34 PDT
>
>>>And just for the hell of it, charghwI' offers something
>>>COMPLETELY different:
>
>>>tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhmeH jIpo'qu'be'.
>
>
>I don't believe your usage of {-DI'} is quite correct. Think all the way to
>the actually meaning of {-DI'}, rather than generalizing it to be a mere
>substitute for every instance in which the English "when" would be
>appropriate. {-DI'} has a much narrower meaning than "when" has. {-DI'} is
>described to mean "as soon as". It indicates simultaneity with the action
>described in the main clause, altho the verb which tacks on {-DI'} carries
>the connotation of being very brief, an instant in time, as opposed to
>{-vIS}, which indicates a longer, more continuous event.
>
>Your usage was: {tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhDI' jIpo'qu'be'}. But this really means,
>"As soon as I speak Klingon, I am not skilled," rather than your intended
>"*Whenever* I speak Klingon..." Klingon does not have a suffix indicating
>such a general or repetitive relationship between clauses, like the word
>"whenever" in English.
>
>Now, of course, I'm going to offer my own suggestion, which is a bit closer
>to that of charghwI':
>
>{tlhIngan Hol jatlhwI' po' jIHbe'}
>
>I *do* actually agree with charghwI''s use of {-meH}. I merely would not
>choose to use it in this circumstance. charghwI' may not like my example
>quite as well, as it uses those screwy pronominal verbs.
>
>
>Guido#1, Leader of All Guidos
>
For something very different:
tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhDI' po'(ghach) vIghajbe' 'e'ba'
As soon as I speak Klingon, it is obvious I possess no skill.
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|INRI|
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| | Matt Whiteacre
| | [email protected]
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