tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 14 12:02:48 1997

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KLBC: tea for two

In my first post, I asked how I would say "What kind of tea do you 
want?" (a question that I commonly ask my wife in the evenings). SuStel, 
like a good instructor, said that I should try it first. So, I took a 
step back and decided to start with a common but simple dialog that 
occurs between my wife and me regularly:

Q: Dargh DaneH'a'?  |  Do you want some tea?
A: HIja'.           |  Yes.
Q: nuq DawIv?       |  What kind?  (lit. "What do you choose?")

Now, sometimes I just start with the question "What kind of tea do you 
want?", because I know the answer is going to be "yes". In tlhIngan Hol
I want to say:

   nuq Dargh DaneH?

I have read on the list, though, that I can't use {nuq} followed by a 
noun. I don't understand why that is the case. TKD defines {nuq} as

   nuq   what? (ques)

and in "6.4. Questions" says

   For 'Iv "who?" and nuq "what?" the question word fits into the
   sentence in the position that would be occupied by the answer.

Unfortunately, all of the examples use {nuq} as if it were a pronoun.

So, here is my second try at "What kind of tea do you want?", even 
though it seems awkward:

   Dargh DatlhutlhmeH nuq DawIv?


-- torroS

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