tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Nov 28 21:36:07 1996
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RE: KLBC:Trusting and eating.
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC:Trusting and eating.
- Date: Fri, 29 Nov 96 02:28:20 UT
November 27, 1996 8:28 PM, jatlh Tony Pierce:
> jISoppu'be' vaj qavoqta'pu'chugh
> If I had trusted you I wouldn't have eaten.
Translate that back into English: "I have not eaten, therefore if I have not
trusted you." (You must choose only ONE aspect marker, either {-pu'} or
{-ta'} -- see below).
As the back-translation shows, if the {-chugh} clause is going to come second,
then you can't use the {vaj}. {vaj} is optional anyway.
*jISopta'be' qavoqchugh.
"I have not (intentionally) eaten if I trusted you."
Here you've found one of those problems of Klingon: it doesn't express
hypothetical situations very well. It's not easy to say "would have" in
Klingon. Quite honestly, I haven't the foggiest idea how you would say this
without context. What's going on that you want to say this? With more
information, I might be able to do it.
A silly example:
ja'chuq voDleH 'avwI' je.
jatlh 'avwI' <DuHoH vay' 'e' nID. yIyep!>
jang voDleH <reH rejmorgh SoH! yIleS!>
HerghDaj tlhutlhrup voDleH.
jach 'avwI' <joHwI'! yImev! chaq HerghDaq tar chellu'ta'!>
jang voDleH <bIjatlh 'e' yImev! HerghwIj vItlhutlhbe'meH chotoj 'e' DanIDba'!
qatlh?>
Hergh tlhutlh.
voQchoH voDleH.
HerghDaq tar tu'lu'law'.
pum voDleH.
'avwI'vaD jatlh <bIlugh! tar vItlhutlhpu'!>
<qavoqpu' vIneH. qavoqbe'mo' tar vItlhutlh. DaH batlhHa' jIHegh.>
Hegh voDleH.
The Emperor and a guard are talking.
The guard says, "Someone will try to kill you! Be careful!"
The Emperor answers, "You're always so worried! Relax!"
The Emperor is now ready to take his medicine.
The guard shouts, "My lord! Stop! Someone may have poisoned the medicine!"
The Emperor replies, "Shut up! You are obviously trying to trick me so that I
don't drink my medicine! Why?
He drinks the medicine.
The Emperor begins to choke.
The medicine must have been poisoned.
The Emperor falls.
He says to the guard, "You were right! I have drunk poison!"
"I wish I had trusted you. Because I didn't, I drank poison. Now I'll die
dishonorably."
The Emperor dies.
> How does that look? I've been wreastling with which aspect marker I should
> put on it. I am torn on whether it should be pu' or ta'. Does anybody have
> any insight?
If the action of the verb is done intentionally, with a goal in mind which is
accomplished, then you use {-ta'}. Otherwise, you use {-pu'}. Read TKD
section 4.2.7 and the FAQ again!
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 96912.0