tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Dec 22 12:18:46 1996
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RE: Eating
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: Eating
- Date: Sun, 22 Dec 96 19:40:26 UT
December 22, 1996 1:13 AM, jatlh Tony Pierce:
> Do you think I could use "jISopta'Ha'" for "I wouldn't have eaten." or how
> about "jISopta'be'?"
Since {-Ha'} must go immediately after the verb, it cannot be used to negate a
suffix. Therefore, you cannot say {jISopta'Ha'.}
Klingon is not very good at expressing conditional statements like "I would
not have eaten." As I like to think of it, it can only express events in this
quantum reality. (This is just a cute way of imagining it that I have. It is
in no way correct. Think of it this way. Sometime in the past, a decision
was made. In some versions of quantum physics, every "decision" on the
quantum level, every event, could split the universe into new states, one for
each quantum states. Actually, this idea was used for The Next Generation
episode where Worf is flung between parallel universes. Klingon can
accurately describe anything which has happened -- or will happen -- in your
own quantum reality. I include "will happen," because once you exist in a
reality, all future branches of that reality will contain you. Now that I've
explained this, please forget it promptly. It's just gobbledigook.)
{jISopta'be'} means "I have not eaten it." The act of eating was being done
intentionally, but is not complete. Sometimes this word is appropriate,
sometimes I prefer {wej jISop}.
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 96976.9