tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 11 08:03:22 2008
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RE: HISlaH/ghobe' with negative questions
maHvatlh:
> > A friend of mine (jaGni, on #klingon [IRCnet]) asked me if
> > {HISlaH}/{ghobe'} works differently in Klingon than in English --
> > specifically when the question is negated. And after much searching I
> > found I could not answer. So now I seek your wisdom.
> >
> > TKD (dictionary section) says this:
> >
> > {HISlaH} "yes", "true" (answer to yes/no question) (excl)
> >
> > But that could be interpreted both ways... Can't it? Let me give you an
> example:
> >
> > {Dachotbe''a'?} "Did you not murder them?"
> >
> > English:
> >
> > "Yes." = I did.
> > "No." = I didn't.
> >
> > Klingon:
> >
> > {HISlaH.} = "True; I did not."
> > {ghobe'.} = "False; I did."
> >
> > (If I understand correctly, this is how japanese does it.)
> >
> > or
> >
> > {HISlaH.} = "Yes; I did."
> > {ghobe'.} = "No; I did not."
> >
> > Is there any consensus on this? (More than just "avoid negative
> questions"!)
be''etlh:
>The "Yes, I didn't" "No, I did" thing is really rather ambiguous in
>english too. To avoid confusion, the easiest thing to do in either
>language is to simply restate the question.
>With your example
> HIja', vIchot (yes, I murdered them)
> HIja', vIchotbe' (yes, I didn't murder them)
> ghobe', vIchot (no, I murdered them)
> ghobe' vIchotbe' (no, I didn't murder them)
>are all clear and acceptable responses to the question
> Dachotbe''a' (Did you not murder them?)
>Some languages have specific features which serve to disambiguate this
>specific situation, such as the French "si" but neither english nor
>klingon have such features.
In fact, some languages don't have words for "yes" and "no"; they simply
repeat the verb with or without the negative, as needed. be''etlh's
suggestions are all good.
Here are all the examples I know of {HIja'/HISlaH} and {ghobe'} in context:
tlhIngan SoH'a'?
Are you a Klingon?
HIja'.
Yes. [CK]
tera'ngan SoH'a'?
Are you a Terran?
HIja', tera'ngan jIH.
Yes, I'm a Terran.
Qo'noSDaq bIghIQ'a'?
Are you vacationing on Kronos?
HIja', Qo'noSDaq jIghIQ.
Yes, I'm vacationing on Kronos.
naDev vay' DaSov'a'?
Do you know anyone here?
ghobe', naDev vay' vISovbe'.
No, I don't know anyone here.
yIHmey DaHIj'a'?
Are you transporting tribbles?
ghobe', yIHmey vIHIjbe'.
No, I'm not transporting tribbles. [CK]
HIDjolev Dayaj'a', tera'ngan?
Do you understand the menu, Terran?
ghobe'. HIboQ!
No, help me!
chovoq'a'?
Do you trust me?
HIja', qavoq.
Yes, I trust you. [CK]
tachDaq choDor'a'?
Will you escort me to a bar?
HIja', HItlhej!
Yes, come with me.
bItlhutlh'a', tera'ngan?
Will you drink, Terran?
HIja'. nuq tu'lu'?
Yes. What is there?
latlh Datlhutlh'a'?
Will you drink another one?
ghobe'. jIroplaw'.
No, I feel sick. [CK]
pa' jIyIt'a'?
Can I walk there?
ghobe'. lupwI' DalIghnIS.
No. You must ride the jitney. [CK]
Are warriors red?
Doq'a' SuvwI'pu'?
No, they are green!
ghobe' SuD! [PK]
Kruge: vaj Daleghpu'?
Then you have seen it?
Valkris: HISlaH, jawwI'.
I have, my lord. [ST3]
Q: Sum'a' raS?
Is the table near (me)? (Am I near the table?)
A: HIja'. Sum raS.
Yes. The table is near (you).
A: ghobe'. jIHDaq Sum raS.
No. The table is near me. [HQ 12/1998]
As you can see, there are no examples of a negative question. We just
don't know how Klingons would respond to a question like
{Dachotbe''a'?}. I've wondered about it myself: Would Klingons answer the
literal question exactly as asked (as they do in Vulcan I would imagine),
or would they answer the implied question behind the literal form (as we do
in English)?
BTW Russians sometime answer such questions literally as well. I remember
I once asked a bus driver in Moscow, "*Eto ne avtobus v MGU?* ("Isn't this
the bus to MSU [Moscow State University]?") He shrugged and answered, "Da"
- meaning "Yes, you're right: This isn't the bus to MSU." Fortunately I
realized from his tone of voice and expression that I had phrased the
question queerly and didn't get on.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons