[tlhIngan Hol] Expressing "must"

Christopher Kidder-Mostrom cokidder at gmail.com
Tue Nov 15 07:39:05 PST 2016


Not sure if this is helpful at all, but when we needed to say "You Must" in
"A Klingon Christmas Carol", we had the character instead say <'ut>.
Specifically, "It it essential".

On Tue, Nov 15, 2016 at 9:35 AM, André Müller <esperantist at gmail.com> wrote:

> I do not have any strong opinion on {-nIS} and for which kind of
> obligation to use it. But I have a fairly complete corpus of sentences, and
> the following are the ones for the suffix {-nIS}. They contain all
> sentences with this suffix that I'm aware of, including the ones from the
> paq'bath. The ones marked with * after it are sentences lacking an English
> translation, where I came up with one myself.
>
> For many sentences one could argue in length if it's an outside force and
> if consequences are implied, and I leave this discussion to others. Maybe
> someone wants to go through them and have a look.
>
> If you find anything interesting, please let us know!
>
> - - - - - - -8< - - - - - -
>
>
> vIleghnIS.
>
> «I need to see him/her.»
>
> bISopnIS.
>
> «You need to eat.»
>
> mataHmeH maSachnIS.
>
> «To survive, we must expand.»
>
> yInlu'taH 'e' bajnISlu'.
>
> «Survival must be earned.»
>
> DaH jIbwIj vISay'nISmoH.
>
> «I must wash my hair now.»
>
> jaghpu' mo' wIyajnIS. [slang]
>
> «We must understand the enemies' motive.»
>
> maSopnISbej.
>
> «We certainly need to eat.»
>
> vIchennISmoH.
>
> «I need to create it.»
>
> yay chavlu' 'e' bajnISlu'.
>
> «Victory must be earned.»
>
> DIHIvlaHtaHvIS DaH DIHIvnIS!
>
> «Attack them now, while we still can!»
>
> vergh 'ach DIlnISbe'
>
> «free parking»
>
> Qel vISamnIS.
>
> «I need to find a doctor. / I need a doctor.»
>
> vIghochnISlaH...
>
> «I could track them down...*»
>
> DungDaq legh 'ej QotnIStaH romuluSngan be'pu'!
>
> «Romulan women belong on their backs!»
>
> chalDaq DapawmeH wutlhDaq bInejnIS.
>
> «To reach the heavens, you must seek underground.»
>
> nIteb bIwuqnIS.
>
> «The choice is yours.»
>
> qaghobnISchugh maghobchuq!
>
> «I will fight you if I must!»
>
> molor DaQapbe'nISmoH.
>
> «Molor must be stopped.»
>
> jISeH'eghnIS[,] / muDechbogh Dochmey vISeHnIS[,] / Hoch vISeHnIS.
>
> «I must take control / Of myself, my surroundings, everything!»
>
> lojmItDaj veghta'DI' jubbe'wI' / yInqa'meH chegh 'e' botnIS qotar.
>
> «Still, Kotar cannot let a mortal / Pass his gates and return alive.»
>
> qeylIS HoHmeH qotar qeylIS SamnIS.
>
> «Kahless must be hunted down and killed.»
>
> bImej 'e' vIchaw'mo' / ghe'tor cheghDI' loDnI'wI' vavwI' je[,] / chaH
> DatlhejnIS.
>
> «In return, you must go back / With your brother and father / To the
> Underworld.»
>
> jIlay'ta' 'ej batlh jIpabta'[,] / vaj choDanIS.
>
> «I have kept my word of honor, / And so should you.»
>
> Qochbe'nIS.
>
> «He/she/they need(s) to not disagree. / He/she/they need(s) to agree.»
>
> QochnISbe'.
>
> «He/she/they do(es) not need to disagree.»
>
> ngajmo' jajvam, nom bIlopnIS.
>
> «Because this day is short, you have to celebrate it quickly.*»
>
> tugh QInvam lulaDlaH ghojwI'pu' chu' 'ej QaHnISbe' jatlhwI'pu' po'qu'.
>
> «Soon the new learners can read this message and the expert speakers don't
> need to help.*»
>
>
> - - - - - - ->8 - - - - - -
>
> I haven't entered the sentences from that aeronautics museum presentation
> yet. And Voragh might have some more sentences that I lack. So mine are not
> exhaustive.
>
> - André
>
> 2016-11-15 16:05 GMT+01:00 SuStel <sustel at trimboli.name>:
>
>> On 11/14/2016 5:40 PM, Lieven wrote:
>>
>> I only see that canon examples sometimes use "must" and sometimes "need".
>> Maybe it's me again proving my lack of english knowledge that you see more
>> than I do? Or is this up to personal interpretation?
>>
>> Here's <http://www.engvid.com/modals-of-necessity/> an excellent video
>> explanation of the difference between *need* and *have to* (and *have to*
>> equals *must*). It says that *have to* focuses on the consequences of
>> not doing something, while *need* focuses on the benefit of doing
>> something. If you *have to* do something, there is some agency requiring
>> it of you; this is not the case with *need.*
>>
>> However, the reality isn't all that clear-cut. People interchange *need,
>> must,* and *have to* all the time.
>>
>> For instance, while *nIteb SuvnIS DevwI' *is translated with *must*
>> instead of *need,* there is no sense in this sentence that any agency is
>> imposing lone-fighting on a leader; rather, it's saying that a leader has a
>> personal necessity of lone-fighting. So don't count too much on these terms
>> having distinct meanings when used in colloquial English.
>>
>> Now, if someone wants to pull up a few instances of *-nIS* being used
>> where an agency is imposing an action and consequences of failure on the
>> subject, and not just instances where the English translation uses
>> *must,* I'll be happy to revise my opinion.
>>
>> --
>> SuStelhttp://trimboli.name
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>
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-- 
*Christopher Kidder-Mostrom*

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   Seasoned Greetings*) produced by The Traveler and the Seeker @ CityLit
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