[tlhIngan Hol] Does the {'e' qa'} express a preference ?

[SuStel]

On 12/10/2018 11:57 AM, mayqel qunenoS wrote:
> In english one can say:
>
> "I learn klingon rather than vulcan" ; meaning simply "I don't learn
> vulcan, I learn klingon".
>
> On the other hand one can say "I'd rather learn klingon instead of
> vulcan", expressing a preference: "I prefer to learn klingon instead
> of vulcan".
>
> So, the question is, is the {'e' qa'} just a "neutral" "rather/instead
> of", or is it (too) the wishful "I'd rather ?"
>
> The way I understand it, it seems to be the neutral variant, but I
> would like to make certain.

In English the preference is expressed by /I'd rather/ or /I'd prefer,/ 
not by the /instead of/ or /rather than./ Klingon *'e' qa'* is neutral 
as to preference.

In Klingon these could be expressed thus:

    *tlhIngan Hol vIghoj; vulqangan Hol vIghoj 'e' qa'.
    */I learn Klingon instead of Vulcan./

    *tlhIngan Hol vIghoj 'e' vImaS; vulqangan Hol vIghoj 'e' vImaS 'e' qa'.
    */I prefer to learn Klingon instead of Vulcan./

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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