tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 19 18:46:31 1996
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Re: KLBC: A few test phrases
>Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 16:04:00 -0700
>From: "Perry J. Brulotte" <[email protected]>
>> >pagh batlh Daghajbe'.
>> >*You have no honor.*
>>
>> This is more like "You don't have no honor." Evidence suggests that
>> Klingon doesn't do double-negatives, as English doesn't ("naDev vay'
>> vISovbe'" from CK). "pagh batlh Daghaj" is OK (you have zero honor), but
>> "batlh Daghajbe'" sounds a little nicer to my ear (you do not have
>honor).
>> We also have "batlh DaHutlh", using the new word "Hutlh"/"lack" from TKW.
>>
>In some parts of the U.S. "You don't have no honor." might be considered
>correct. ;)
There's no *real* reason for double-negatives to be wrong; most languages
are not mathematical logic, and many have double-negatives. In fact, we
didn't know if Klingon did or didn't use them at first, and really there
was no true answer, until we had some canon (the CK line quoted above).
Don't be ashamed of "don't have no honor"!
~mark