tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Mar 29 22:03:23 1997
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Re: <noun>-mo' <verb>-be'
>Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 10:47:35 -0800 (PST)
>From: Alan Anderson <[email protected]>
>
>ja' HomDoq:
>>> maHmo' He'So'be' qach.
>>> The building does not stink because of us.
>>>
>>as far as I understand, the English is ambiguous.
>>Is the Klingon as well?
>
>I think the Klingon is ambiguous. {-be'} sometimes seems to negate only
>the verb or the suffix it follows, but it sometimes seems to negate the
>entire sentence, adverbials and subordinate clauses and all.
jIQochbe'. Consider canon: "Hoch DaSopbe'chugh, batlh bIHeghbe'". The
"-be'" on "bIHeghbe'" negates the whole sentence, making it "you will die
without honor", actually negating the adverb even more than the verb.
That's why I occasionally consider "DIchmo' vIjatlhlaHbe'" for "I can't say
it for certain."
~mark