tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Dec 12 05:27:06 1996

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RE: KLBC: latlh vImugh

ja' HurghwI':
> 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."

nuqjatlh?

I should eat - jISopnISlaw'.
I can eat - jISoplaH.
I may eat - jISop net chaw'.

*I* certainly differentiate between the concepts!

Something like "buy me a drink and we can talk" doesn't fit any of
them, in my opinion.  I'd just say {jItlhutlh 'e' yIDIl.  maja'chuq.}
The "and" here seems to mean something like a sequencing "then", and 
it looks like tlhIngan Hol doesn't really have one of them.

If you really do mean "If you buy me a drink we will be able to talk" 
then maybe {-laH} is appropriate, but if the implied cause-and-effect
is really important, I'd probably come up with a translation like
{maja'chuqmeH, jItlhutlh 'e' DaDIlnIS}.  If I wanted to keep it as a
command, I'd try {jItlhutlh 'e' yIDIl vaj maja'chuq}, but I'm a teeny 
bit apprehensive about using {vaj} after an imperative.

-- ghunchu'wI'

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