tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Sep 22 13:49:56 2004

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Re: Skype yISuq!

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

> >> in a sentence like "Do you want coffee or tea?", you can't
> >> properly use the noun conjunctions {ghap} or {joq} unless
> >> you want neither; the sentence is not a yes/no question.

lay'SIv:
>That's the problem.

Think of it as an elided "Do you want coffee or [do you want] tea?".  This 
is not actually a query as to whether or not you're thirsty:

   bI'oj'a'?
   Are you thirsty?

   vay' Datlhutlh DaneH'a'?
   Do you want something to drink?
   Do you want to drink something?

lay'SIv:
>It's not a yes/no question because the expected answer
>is one of the choices, not 'yes' or 'no'.

Voragh:
> > Sure it is.  Using {-'a'} makes it a yes/no question:
> >
> >    qa'vIn Dargh ghap DaneH'a'?
> >    Do you want either coffee or tea?

lay'SIv:
>Even with {-'a'}, only {HIja'/HISlaH} or {ghobe'} are appropriate answers 
>to this question.

Only yes/no?  Nothing else?  Says who?  Besides, I did provide yes/no 
answers, followed by an additional comment:

> >    HIja'.
> >    Yes.  (I want either coffee or tea.)
> >
> >    HIja', qa'vIn vIneH.
> >    Yes, I want coffee.
>
> >    HIja', Dargh vIneH.
> >    Yes, I want tea.
> >
> >    ghobe'.
> >    No.  (I don't want either coffee or tea. )
> >
> >    ghobe', vIneHbe'.
> >    No, I don't want either ("it/them").
> >
> >    ghobe', qa'vIn Dargh ghap vIneHbe'.
> >    No, I don't want either coffee or tea.

This is actually an implied question:  "Which do you want: coffee or 
tea?"  Of course, we've learned that Klingons tend to ask this type of 
question differently.  Cf. KGT p.105:

   jar DamaSqu'bogh yIngu'
   What/which is your favorite month?
   ("Identify the month that you very much prefer!") st.klingon

   Daq DaDabbogh yIngu'
   Identify the place where you live
   (i.e. Where do you live?) st.klingon

   Similarly, if a Klingon wants to know something, he or she
   may simply demand that the information be given. For example,
   a common way to say "Which weapon do you want?" is not as a
   question at all but instead as a command: {nuH DaneHbogh
   yIngu'!} (literally, "Identify the weapon that you want!").

N.B. "a common way" - not "the only way".



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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