tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jul 15 17:16:17 1996

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Re: KLBC:taHvIS

nuqHm writes:
>        maQochtaHvIS
>is translated as "while we were disagreeing"
>wouldn't "while we disagree" be a better translation ?
>-taH implies that the action is ongoing.

The "ongoing" implication is precisely why the translation is appropriate.
"We disagree" isn't an ongoing process; "we are disagreeing" is.  {-vIS} is
always used along with {-taH} because the idea of "while" requires that the
action continue for some non-zero duration (at least in Klingon grammar).

[It's occasionally tempting to try to expand on this requirement and use a
combination like {-lI'vIS} instead, but TKD says {-vIS} is *always* used
with {-taH}.  Until I hear otherwise, I'll obey that rule.]

>It seems impossible to say "while we were disagreeing" using this type of
>construction as
>you would need -pu' to indicate that the action is over, but -vIS requires
>-taH, another vsx7 !

Red alert!  My "tense versus aspect" detector has just been activated.

But I see ~mark has done a very good job of explaining the issue...

-- ghunchu'wI'               batlh Suvchugh vaj batlh SovchoH vaj

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