tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Dec 26 18:25:23 1997

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Meaning of nuqneH

>nuqneH is a greeting with the meaning "What do you want"  The question I
>have is: many people begin their postings with "nuqneH"  Wouldn't this be
>like starting a conversation by walking up to someone and saying "What do
>you want?"?  Wouldn't the person being addressed need to say "nuqneH", NOT
>the person addressing?  I understand it is used as a greeting, but is it
>being used by the wrong person in a conversation?

My opinion:  nuqneH is a greeting meaning [What do you want?].  You are
correct thinking - a person approaching another would not say [nuqneH] and
then continue talking.  The person he approached could say [nuqneH].  But
many "Humans" stretch it to mean something closer to [Hello].  Some people
except this usage, some don't.  (I hope this doesn't bring up that old
argument again).  Personnally, if you spoke to me using [nuqneH] as [Hello]
instead of as the greeting [What do you want?] I would simply grit my teeth
and treat you as a tourist and wouldn't waste my time saying anything about it.

DloraH
www2.rpa.net/~cheesbro

Back to archive top level