tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Nov 23 14:28:09 1996

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RE: KLBC - vaj



jatlh qeyloS:

>  I looked up Surrender or Die in the TKD
>  What I found was 2 phrases: "You surrender" and "You Die".

Actually, the phrase is

bIjeghbe'chugh vaj bIHegh.
If you do not surrender, then you will die.

>  Both made sense and looked ok. But what supprised me was "vaj" which I
>  thought meant so/then/thus/in that case.  If I am correct then the phrase 
say.
>  Surrender then Die.

Follow the verb's affixes.
{jegh} surrender
{bIjegh} you surrender
{bIjeghbe'} you do not surrender
{bIjeghbe'chugh}  if you do not surrender

You are correct.  {vaj} means "thus," or "therefore."

{vaj bIHegh} Thus, you die.

bIjeghbe'chugh vaj bIHegh
If you do not surrender, then you will die.
Surrender or die!

Note: this is an example of how Okrand doesn't always follow a word-for-word 
translation of his Klingon.  All of the "do this or do that" things we say in 
English seem to follow the "if you do not do this, then that will happen" 
format.  Another Okrand example:

bIje'be'chugh vaj bIHegh
If you do not buy, then you will die.
"Buy or die!"

>  Did I find an oops or does "vaj" have another
>  meaning that I havn't found.

You did not find an error, but {vaj} DOES have another meaning.  Look in the 
Addendum: {vaj} "warrior."  This meaning is totally unrelated to {vaj} 
"therefore."

SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 96897.6


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