tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Feb 06 16:37:54 2003

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RE: Waiting for Things



SuStel:
> 
> Well, we've heard from Okrand that /SIv/ can be used in this way:
> 
> jIHvaD juH lungevqang 'e' vISIv
> I wonder if they're willing to sell the home to me?
> (Remember, /juH/ is "home," not "house.")
> 
> We don't know if /ghoj/ can do the same thing.  Given the 
> right context, I wouldn't be too opposed to it myself.  But I 
> think we can do it with /Sov/ too.

Even if <ghoj> can be used this way grammatically, I'm not sure the meaning
of <ghoj> fits into this situation. Consider these two English sentences:

I am learning mathematics
Tomorrow I will learn my fate

The first one can obviously be translated as <mI'QeD vIghojtaH> or <mI'QeD
vIghojlI'>. 

The second one looks like it should be <wa'leS SanwIj vIghoj>, but that just
doesn't seem right to me. The primary meaning of "learn" in English is to
acquire knowledge or skill through instruction, practice or experience. The
second usage is just finding something out. While it's a valid and related
secondary meaning of the Enlgish word (I looked it up just to be sure), I
don't know that the Klingon word can stretch the same way. Instead, I would
feel much better with <SovchoH>, so the best translation would would be
<wa'leS SanwIj vISovchoH>.

pagh


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