tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Apr 19 11:13:24 2004

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Re: Probability

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

ter'eS:
>Someone was wondering last week how to express probability,
>as in "There's a ninety-nine percent chance of rain today."
>I don't think anyone really answered, but I've been musing on
>it ever since.  How about:
>
>   DaHjaj HutmaH Hut [vatlhvI'] DuH 'oH SISmeH DuH'e'.
>
>You could extend this to other types of events, too:
>
>   SIbDoH'e' vaghmaH Soch vatlhvI' DuH 'oH yuQ paw'meH DuH.
>   "There is a 57% probability that the satellite will hit the
>   planet."

These seem a bit wordy.  Looking at our single example of {vatlhvI'} "percent":

   cha'maHvagh vatlhvI' Hong;  QIt yIghoS!
   Slow to one quarter impulse power. ST5
   (lit. "Twenty-five percent impulse power; proceed slowly!")

we might try a more abbreviated style:

   HutmaHHut vatlhvI' DuH; DaHjaj SIS.
   Ninety-nine percent possibility; it'll rain today.

   chaq DaHjaj SIS: HutmaHHut vatlhvI' DuH.
   Perhaps it'll rain today: a ninety-nine percent possibility.

or a more conversational style:

   DaHjaj SIS'a'?  HutmaHHut vatlhvI' 'oH DuH'e'.
   Will it rain today?  The possibility is ninety-nine percent.

   SIS'a'?  DaHjaj HutmaHHut vatlhvI' 'oH DuH'e'.
   Will it rain?  Today the possibility is ninety-nine percent.

Vocabulary note:  In addition to the noun {DuH} (used in the phrase {Hoch 
DuH yIqel} "Consider every possibility!" [cf. KGT 108-110]) we also have 
the homophonous verb {DuH} "be possible" and its synonym {qIt} "be 
possible", both of which should work for "be probable".  We have only one 
example of these in context:

   yIntaHvIS qIrq DuHbe' roj
   There will be no peace as long as Kirk lives. (ST5 notes)
   (lit. "While Kirk lives, peace is not possible.")

though I'm not sure that this suggests anything.



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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