[tlhIngan Hol] {neH} "merely" with imperatives

SuStel sustel at trimboli.name
Fri Oct 15 06:12:47 PDT 2021


On 10/15/2021 8:05 AM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
> voragh quoting tkd:
>> Duj yIQotlh neH
>> Just disable the ship!
> Interesting.. I'd never given much thought to the possibility of
> translating the {neH} which follows a verb as "just"; I always
> translated it as "merely".
>
> As native americans, do you "feel" any difference between "just" and
> "merely"? Or are they exactly the same?

You keep saying "native american." Be aware that in the United States, 
this phrase, capitalized, refers to a member of an indigenous tribe, not 
to any natural-born citizen of the US.

The word /merely/ tends to sound more formal than /just./ You wouldn't 
normally use /merely/ at the start of an imperative, though you can do 
so. /Just/ sounds more emphatic, /merely/ more thoughtful. "Just disable 
the ship!" could be barked at a gunner; "Merely disable the ship" would 
not, but you might say it when sitting around a conference table and 
musing on possible courses of action.

But as far as literal meaning, when used this way, they're synonymous.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name
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