[tlhIngan Hol] Multiple question words / markers in a sentence

[SuStel]

On 2/18/2019 12:27 PM, Will Martin wrote:
> Before Okrand revealed the prefix trick to us, {‘etlhlIj HInob} would 
> have, indeed, been ungrammatical Klingon, encoded English. It would 
> have not made sense in the Klingon language.
>
> But Okrand DID reveal the prefix trick to us, and because of that 
> {‘etlhlIj HInob} is perfectly grammatical in Klingon.
>
> If he ever reveals to us how indirect quotation works in Klingon, the 
> same will be true of your double-question, assuming that your version 
> of how the grammar works matches whatever he comes up with. Before we 
> knew how to use direct quotations, we had no grammar for it, and 
> likely had we guessed, we would not have come up with what Okrand 
> revealed to us, so earlier guesses would almost certainly be wrong. 
> And yes, we spent years working with the language before we had any 
> hint as to the grammar of how to make direct quotations.

We know perfectly well how "direct quotations" and "indirect quotations" 
work in Klingon: everything is a report of the actual speech, or else 
doesn't use a verb of speech.

    *qaja'pu' HIqaghQo'* /I told you not to interrupt me. /(TKD)
    //

Literally it's /I told you, "Don't interrupt me!"/ but it's also used in 
situations where in English one wouldn't quote someone else's exact 
words. If it's not a verb of speech, then it's something like this: 
*qaqaghbe'pu' 'e' Datlhob*/You requested that I not interrupt you./ 
Here, I'm not reporting your speech.

"Direct quotations" are explained in TKD; we did not spend years before 
he had a hint of how to use them.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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