tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Nov 19 06:38:03 2004

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Re: how long is it?

ngabwI' ([email protected])

• From: "ngabwI'" <[email protected]>
• Subject: Re: how long is it?
• Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 09:36:22 -0500
• References: <[email protected]>

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2004 8:37 AM
Subject: how long is it?


>> In order to ask "how tall is it?" / "how long is it?" should I use {'ar
>> 'ab} or should I use {nuq 'ab} ?
>>
>>
>>
>> Dar'Qang
>>
>
> The basic question would seem to be {nuq 'ab}, but since that is so 
> general,
> you could also add a phrase meaning 'how many uj (or some other 
> appropriate
> unit)?', e.g., {nuq 'ab, 'uj 'ar?} or simply say {'uj 'ar 'ab}.  I'm not 
> happy
> with the idea of using {'ar} alone as an object, but perhaps a unit of 
> measure
> can be assumed.  This seems to be what happens when numbers are used 
> without
> nouns, which, I think, exactly parallels this.
>
> lay'tel SIvten

First off, I agree, in principle, with what you say. On PK (or was it CK?), 
MO tells us that while shopping, if you ask {'ar} "how much?" the answer 
will be the number of credits the item costs. So {'ar}apparently doesn't 
always need a noun, if context makes it clear.

I, too, find {nuq 'ab} too vague, and I would avoid it.

But, if this were me, I would go with {'uj 'ar 'ab Dochvam?} "How many 
{'uj}'s does this thing measure?"

--ngabwI'
Beginners' Grammarian
Klingon Language Institute
http://kli.org
HovpoH 702313.1 

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