tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Feb 17 10:00:38 2004

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Re: what kind??

Lieven L. Litaer (Quvar) ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol ghojwI']

Am 17.02.2004 07:14:25, schrieb "david fourman" <[email protected]>:

>Last post for the day I promise. 1am doesn't count as tuesday though.

>  I thought of another way of stating the question and I want to know if it 
>is valid grammar.  Could you say "Dargh'e' nuq DaneH?" -- as for the tea, 
>what do you want?  This is basically a compound sentence involving two 
>statements. 

in English, maybe; in Klingon, no.
In my ears it sounds like "Tea! What do you want?"

> Or following the reasoning of 'ar, Dargh 'ar weghaj, would it 
>not follow that one could say Dargh nuq wighaj? -- what tea do we have.

{'ar} follows the noun it modifies.

Using my own words and ideas, it looks like a genetive noun-noun construction "the tea's how-
much". Other way around, same idea: "(the) how-much (of the) tea".
With {nuq}, I'd understand "the tea's what" or "what of the tea". The answer to {Dargh nuq wIghaj} 
might be "We have water/Qenvob/sugar/milk"
We know, the answer replaces the question word:
   {Dargh HIvje' wIghaj} 
   "We have a teacup"

>would any of this work?

I don't think so. Other will tell why.
I'll give you some of the "accepted" solutions:

   {Dargh DaneHbogh yIngu'}
   "Identify the tea which you want."

   {Dargh Segh yIngu'}
   "Identify the tea's type."

   {Dargh yIwIv}
   "Choose a tea!"

As one can see, Klingon is very short and direct, giving commands and not asking questions.

Quvar 'utlh.

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