tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Dec 21 15:05:57 1998
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Re: RE: RE: Free food
Thornton:
> So, which is better, {DaDIlnISbe'bogh} or {DaDIlbe'nISbogh}?
charghwI':
: Well, one means, "food which you don't have to pay for" while
: the other means "food which you need to not pay for". You should
: be able to figure out which means which and which is closer to
: what you want to say.
See, for another example, TKW p.48:
ghob tIvnISbe'lu'
One need not enjoy virtue.
"The Klingon construction {tIvnISbe'} means 'does not need to
enjoy'; {tIvbe'nIS} would mean 'needs to not enjoy', an utterly
different concept."
Okrand discusses a similar difference in meaning on startrek.klingon (11/97):
The Rover {-be'} comes right after whatever it is negating. Both
{Qochbe'nIS} "he/she/they need to not disagree" (that is, he/she
/they need to agree) and {QochnISbe'} "he/she/they do not need
to disagree are acceptable Klingon formations. The fact that the
Dictionary lists {Qochbe'} "agree" (that is, literally, "not
disagree") does not mean that no suffix may precede the {-be'}.
It's in there so that someone can easily look up how to say
"agree".
The Rover {-qu} works similary (TKD p.48f):
The roving nature of {-qu'} can be seen in the following set:
pIHoHvIpbe'qu'
we are NOT afraid to kill you
pIHoHvIpqu'be'
we are not AFRAID to kill you
pIHoHqu'vIpbe'
we are not afraid to KILL you.
The first word might be used after an enemy challenged the bravery
of the speaker. The second might be followed by an explanation
such as, "We are not willing to kill you because we require your
services." The third word would be used to emphasize killing, as
opposed to some other form of punishment...
_________________________________________________________________________
Voragh "Grammatici certant et adhuc sub judice
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons lis est." Horace (Ars Poetica)