tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 17 08:08:43 1998
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Re: KLBC - What do I do
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC - What do I do
- Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 08:06:05 -0700
At 06:20 98-04-17 -0700, Kaylos wrote:
}How would I say "What do I do". I know the word act/take action ( vang )
}but I don't believe that is truly getting the point across. For example:
}
}chay' jIvang
}How do I act?
I'd say you've answered your own question. Remember that {vang} isn't "act"
in the sense of "behave" so {chay' jIvang} isn't so much "how do I act?" as
"how do I take action?" i.e. "what action do I take?" I'm picturing
someone who has just come on board a sailboat and can see that there is a
lot of work to do, but doesn't know how to sail. {chay' jIvang} works
perfectly there. Or if he's asking for orders, {chay' chora'} "how do you
command me?" Also {chay' jIvangnIS} "what action should I take?"
}I thought about using "what" ( nuq ) but that is supposed to fit in the
}sentence where the answer would go. If I use ( vang ) it appears to be
}intransitive and if so then there is no object, so no place for "what". I
}think.
Good analysis.
}Along the same lines I believe that the following does work
}
}chay' vIQaH 'e' vISovbe'vIp
}I'm afraid that I don't know how to help.
The English "Im afraid I don't know ..." doesn't translate into Klingon.
There's practically a cultural taboo on saying "I'm afraid" so they wouldn't
say it just to ask how to help.
There's also a controversy over using using question words in the SAO
context the way you have, and {vISovbe'vIp} translates as "I'm afraid to not
know..."
And as there's no object for {QaH}, you need {jI-} not {vI-}. So it doesn't
work.
How about {jIQaHlaH'a'} "Can I help?"
{chay' jIQaHlaH} "How can I help?"
{HIra'} "Command me."
{nuq vIta'nIS} "What do I need to accomplish?"
Do these translate the meaning you are after? Or do you have another
context in mind?
Qov [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian