tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Sep 29 13:31:01 2000

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RE: math questions



> Can one chain math operations in Klingon? 

Qu'vam lutoy'laHba' tlhIngan mI'mey.

> I'm assuming that the
> math verbs (/boq/, etc.) follow the same grammar as other verbs.

> For example,

> 1 + 2 + 3 = ...
> */wej boq cha' boq wa'/ or
> */wej boq cha' 'e' boq wa'/?

> Which one is more grammatically proper, given what we know of
> Klingon grammar?  Or do we not know how to chain this type of
> sentence at all?

bIQaghlaw'. cha' boq wa'. mI'vam boq wej. chen jav.

latlh mIw:

wa' cha' je boq wej. chen jav.

> Another interesting thing is that Klingon grammar seems to
> enforce a right-first interpretation, i.e. 

> 1 + 2 + 3 would be interpreted as 1 + (2 + 3), rather than 
> (1 + 2) + 3 as in English/Earth mathematics.

qatlh qechvam Danaj? not qechvam chup HolQeD.

> Also, what about order of precedence?  There's good reason 
> for multiplication to preceed addition in sufficiently
> advanced mathematics, and a space-faring race ought to
> understand the rules of precedence... though I suppose I 
> can't make that assumption for Klingon, as MO can throw
> another curve.  

nap. mu'tlhegh mach yIlo'. mI' DaneHbogh yIDelchu'. mI' HuD 
yIchenmoHQo'.

> If I were to say:

> 2 + 5 x 3 = ?
> /cha' boq vagh boq'egh wej; chen nuq?/ 
> (assuming this is legal)

bIQaghlaw'. yIQIm:

(2+5)*3
vagh boq cha'. wejlogh boq'egh mI'vam.
wejlogh boq'egh vagh boqpu'bogh cha'.
wejlogh boq'egh boqchuqpu'bogh cha' vagh je.

2+(5*3)
vaghlogh boq'egh wej. mI'vam boq cha'.
cha' boq vaghlogh boq'eghpu'bogh wej.

> What would the answer be, and why?

> (As you can probably tell, I'm really excited by these
> revelations about Klingon mathematics. {{=) )


> --
> De'vID

mIwwIj DaparHa''a'?

SarrIn



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