tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu May 10 19:17:24 2001
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Re: Expelling Ambiguity
From: "Will Martin" <[email protected]>
> > From: TPO [mailto:[email protected]]
> > roD ram qaS wanI' - usually it occurs at night.
> > (sometimes it occurs in the day, but usually at night.)
> >
> > ram roD qaS wanI' - at night it usually occurs.
> > (this event takes place at night, not every night, but usually it does
> > occur)
> In both cases, the event usually happens and it happens at night. I'd need
> context to differentiate between the two English meanings stated, like a
> second sentence. {not pem qaS} for one case and {pIjHa' pem qaS} for the
> other.
A possible test for what's going on here might be to see if the following is
equivalent to the meaning of the original:
roD qaS wanI' 'ej ram qaS wanI'.
If it means the same thing, you're not intending for the headers to refer to
each other. If it doesn't mean the same thing, you were expecting one to
modify the other. This test should be able to extend to just about any
other sentence with multiple headers (e.g. Krankor, HolQeD Vol.9 No.2:
/tlhoS So'eghpu' jagh Duj 'ej SIbI' So''eghpu' jagh Duj/).
SuStel
Stardate 1358.2