SuStel there's something I'd like to ask you. About a year ago we had discussed about whether the {'e' qa'} expresses a preference, in this thread: http://lists.kli.org/pipermail/tlhingan-hol-kli.org/2018-December/009246.htm... There my initial post was: ***** Initial post starts ***** 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. ***** Initial post ends ***** Then you replied: ***** Reply starts ***** 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. ***** Reply ends ***** So far so good. I understand your reply, and everything is clear. But what I've just wondered is this: Why can't we express the "I prefer to learn Klingon instead of Vulcan" by just placing a {'e' vImaS} after the {'e' qa'}? I mean like this: {tlhIngan Hol vIghoj; vulqangan Hol vIghoj 'e' qa' 'e' vImaS} Granted, stringing together two {'e'}s in a row isn't perhaps the best thing to do, but that aside, doesn't the sentence above mean too "I prefer to learn Klingon instead of Vulcan"? -- Dana'an https://sacredtextsinklingon.wordpress.com/ Ζεὺς ἦν, Ζεὺς ἐστίν, Ζεὺς ἔσσεται· ὦ μεγάλε Ζεῦ