tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jan 31 19:40:58 1997
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
RE: KLBC: or
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: or
- Date: Sat, 1 Feb 97 00:23:22 UT
January 31, 1997 1:23 AM EST, jatlh maqlIy:
> I'm trying to get the concept of "or" straight. Am I geting close?
>
> yuch chonobbe'chugh vaj bIHegh!
> Give me chocolate or die! (If you do not give me chocolate then you die.)
maj. As you can see, this indicates the "either/or" idea. Choose one or the
other. Also possible (for purists like me :) :
jIHvaD yuch Danobbe'chugh vaj bIHegh!
> tlhab HInob pagh Hegh HInob!
> Give me liberty or give me death! (Either give me freedom or give me
death.)
Yes. You are using {pagh} just fine here.
A less poetic way (or is it?) to say this is
HItlhabmoH pagh HIHoH.
See? No nouns!
> yuch vISop qoj jIqej.
> I eat chocolate or I am grouchy. (But most people can't tell the
difference.)
The implication here is that one *or both* of these conditions must be true.
All we know is that you cannot be happy if you do not eat chocolate.
> yuch joq qa'vIn vIneH.
> I want chocolate or coffee or both.
Careful! When using noun conjunctions, you must place it *after* the final
noun!
yuch qa'vIn joq vIneH.
But you've got the "or both" part correct.
> Dargh ghap qa'vIn IlneH'a'?
> Do you want tea or coffee? (Not both)
This is a funny case. You have chosen {lI-} as your prefix. There *are* two
objects listed, but here's the interesting bit: using {ghap}, you are saying
that only one can be the case. So you cannot want both. In that case, might
one not use {nI-} instead of {lI-}? There's no answer in canon to that, I'm
afraid. Personally, I'd use {nI-}, but I can't say you're wrong. My sentence
would be
Dargh qa'vIn ghap nIneH'a'?
Now, here's something else to think about. As far as I can tell, you're
asking
Do you want (coffee or tea)?
You're not asking
(Do you want coffee?) either/or (do you want tea?)
See the difference? If I told you that I drink tea, but not coffee, then my
technical answer to your question would have to be {HIja'}.
I'd solve this by asking two questions:
Dargh DaneH'a'? qa'vIn DaneH'a'?
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97087.0