tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Nov 02 07:13:36 2003

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Re: {rutlh} cha'DIch

Lieven L. Litaer (Quvar) ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol ghojwI']



jaj 01.11.2003 17:40:31, ghItlh SIvten:

> {rutlh} 'oH "wheel"'e' 'e' vIHarbe'pu'.  

The last verb in a SAO construction cannot take an aspect suffix, i.e. {-pu}

What is it that you didn't know? 
That "a wheel" is {rutlh}, or that {rutlh} is "a wheel"?

Remember, it's "backwards":
  {Quvar 'oH pongwIj'e'}
  "My name is Quvar."

  {A 'oH B'e'} = "B is A."

> DaH vIyajbej.  
maj.

>'ach nuqvo', chay' ghap DaSov'a'?
"but, from what, or how, do you know that, yes or no?"

This is a pretty much too literal translation, it's almost word to word.
- First, we need to remember that {-vo'} is only used in a spacial sense; i.e. you can move away 
"from" a place, like you can go "towards" a place. But in this case, there is no movement "from" 
one place to another.
- Second: I believe this is very terran, to start a sentence, abruptly cut it of, and then restart it with 
another verb:
   "From where ... err... or, ... How do you know that?"
That's not the same as
   "From where or how do you know that?"

Everyone understands, but linguistically it's nonsense, because it sounds like you're saying "from 
where, or from how". Anyway, this won't work in Klingon. By the way, we know that {ghap} is 
used for nouns; I doubt it works with questionwords.

- third point: Your question starts with a question word, but it ends like a yes/no-question. One 
cannot have both. (It's the same in english)

- last: this is not *wrong*, but in Klingon it's always better to make clear what the object of the verb 
is. {DaSov} is not "you know THAT" but it's "you know IT". If one intends to point on "that", then 
say it: {chay' 'oH DaSov} "how do you know that? How do you know IT, that which we talked 
about?"

----

Speak proudly! Don't chew Ligament; decide now! 
Decide what you want to say, and say it:
  {chay' De'vetlh DaSov?}
  "how do you know that information?"
or say
  {nuqDaq ngoDvam Datu'?}
  "Where did you find this fact?"

Quvar.




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