tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Nov 17 13:13:49 1997

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Re: plans



> "whether":  conj.  (1) a word introducing, in dependent clauses or the like,
> [snip]
> "if": conj. (1) in case that; granting or supposing that; on condition that.
> [snip]

'twould've been interesting to see what you find for "that"
in this context...

> I'm stating that I don't know the first of two
> alternatives.  If I don't konw the first one, I obviously don't know the
> second one.
> 
?? I really don't follow this reasoning, but probably it's the same
problem, I cannot see how to "not know one alternative"

> In this case, I disagree.  {SIv} means {Sovbe' 'ej qeltaH} not knowing and
> thinking about whatever the object {'e'} is.  And since Okrand discussed
> both of these verbs together, addressing exactly this function of {SIv}, it
> makes sense to me.
> 
well.. still {SIv} and {Sov} are different verbs and how can you know
whether (that?) they behave similarly. I agree that Okrands examples
show that(!) the object of {SIv} is one of the alternatives that you
wonder about - in this case {'e'} can be translated as "whether"
(can you say "I wonder that the child ate the chocolate"?)

> Hmmm . . . how ELSE might you say "I don't know whether the child ate the
> chocolate"?  Without trying to use a question as object that is.  And
> preferrably without using rhetorical questions, too.
> 
I've been thinking about that... you might say something - admittedly
longwinded and maybe still using a rhetorical question - like

"If you ask me whether the child ate the chocolate, I cannot answer you."
(oh no - without my TKD, I'll probably mess this one up...)
{<<Huch Sop'a' puq?>> chotlhobchugh, qajanglaHbe'.}

it is not very Klingon but I think it is grammatical and
unambiguous (assuming that {tlhob} and {jang} can be used
with the adressee as object)

HomDoq



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