tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Dec 11 15:13:46 1996

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RE: KLBC: latlh vImugh

>> One can always talk, but to me, _chatting_ can only be done comfortably in
>> the correct situation.
>
>I don't have any reason to assume that Klingons agree with you.  In fact, 
>since there's no word for "comfortable" in Klingon, I doubt that you are 
>correct.
>
>> BTW, how strict are Klingons in using "can?" I would
>> think a use such as this would be allowed, because they don't differentiate
>> between "should," "can," and "may."
>
>I won't start using it just because English speakers do this with the English 
>equivalent!  English uses "can" a lot, but it doesn't really do much a lot of 
>the time.  Not to put words into your mouth, but your "I will buy you a drink 
>and we can talk" sentence is really not referring to being *able* to talk.  It 
>means "I will buy you a drink and we *will* talk."

My point was that since speakers of Klingon use {-laH} to mean everything
from "can" to "may," I figured it was almost as lax as the English "can."

>-- 
>SuStel
>Beginners' Grammarian
>Stardate 96944.4

-HurghwI'
Hovjaj 96947.2

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