[tlhIngan Hol] laj lajQo' {-vIp} and imperatives

[Will Martin]

The issue here is that since {-Qo’} is a non-roving rover, you can’t assume what it is negating. The preceding suffix? The main verb? This is one of those cases where context would probably disambiguate, and if being understood is important, then you should provide enough context, or come up with some other phrasing to be less ambiguous.

We can always come up with ambiguous statements. All natural languages have them, and artificial languages designed to not have them are torturous to use because being unambiguous trumps priorities like concise expression.

All communication is incomplete. Every expression is a compromise between efficiency and comprehensive meaning.

choSovbe’, ‘ach qaHIV not ‘e’ vIHech. qaQaHlaH. HIlajvIpQo’.

or

chomevlaHbe’ba'. HIlajvIpQo’.

charghwI’ vaghnerya’ngan

rInpa’ bomnIS be’’a’ pI’.




> On Jun 7, 2019, at 4:03 PM, De'vID <de.vid.jonpin at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On Fri, Jun 7, 2019, 21:33 mayqel qunen'oS, <mihkoun at gmail.com <mailto:mihkoun at gmail.com>> wrote:
> If I remember correctly, tkd has the Ca'Non example:
> 
> HIHoHvIpQo' 
> don't be afraid to kill me 
> 
> If I say HIlajvIpQo', according to the above, it should translate to "don't be afraid to accept me".
> 
> lugh.
> 
> However, the lajQo', has been given as "reject".
> 
> mughmeH Qu' napmoHmeH neH jIyweS 'oH mu'vam'e'.
> 
> 
> So, this means that saying HIlajvIpQo' means/can mean too "be afraid to reject me".
> 
> lughbe'.
> 
> -- 
> De'vID
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