tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Apr 13 15:41:35 2000

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[KLBC] -nIS / need




pagh, 

I have a question about another suffix: /-nIS/.

How would one translate "Romeo must die"?  My first
instinct was to go with /HeghnIS Romeo/.  However,
TKD 4.2.2 says this: "Suffixes of this type express how
much choice the subject has about the action described
or how pre-disposed the subject is to doing it".

"Romeo must die" doesn't mean that Romeo needs
to die.  It means that someone else (an indefinite 
person) needs Romeo to die.  I'm thinking 
/Hegh Romeo 'e' X-nISlu'/, but I don't know what 
verb should be in the place of X.  Am I close?

More generally, how would one express "need"
in the sense of "something needs to happen", 
as opposed to "someone needs to do something"?

--
De'vID




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