tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 26 14:51:51 1996
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: An offer you shouldn't refuse!
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: An offer you shouldn't refuse!
- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 17:50:58 -0400 ()
- Priority: NORMAL
On Tue, 20 Aug 1996 08:50:52 -0700 "Mark E. Shoulson"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> >Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 04:57:52 -0700
> >From: "A.Appleyard" <[email protected]>
>
> > ({nuq} = "which thing ...?" as a noun, but how to say "which?" as an
> >adjective: e.g. "which ship is approaching?")
>
> Another one I've been itching for for the longest time. I'm pretty sure
> we've asked this already of Dr. Okrand.
>
> ~mark
It has definitely been on my list for Okrand for a long time and
certain grammarians definitely said they would present it to
Okrand, though there has been no response as yet.
Until such a response happens, I'll share MY workaround, which
doesn't violate any rules and does not require using any words
in new and unusual ways:
Change the question to a command!
In other words, "Which disruptor do you want?" becomes "nISwI'
yIwIv!" See?
Okrand officially dodged this one in ST3 when Kruge said (in
subtitles) "Kill one of them. I don't care which one," and it
came out {wa' yIHoH. jISaHbe'.} That one always has bothered me.
It sounds like, "Kill one of them. I don't care." That really
doesn't carry the meaning of the subtitle for me.
I would have gone for {wa' qama' yIwIv 'ej yIHoH.} Or, {wa'
yIHoH. bIwIvlaH.}
I've tried to find examples where "which" as an adjective could
not be handled in this way, but except for relative clauses
where "which" is carried by {-bogh}, I can't find one that can't
be handled through my method.
"I don't know which weapon to use."
nuH vIlo'nISbogh vIwIvlaHbe'.
Of course the proper response to someone who says this to you is
to kill them for their indecision. Perhaps they will make up
their mind in time to stop you.
charghwI'