Am 08.04.2021 um 00:03 schrieb De'vID:
The unnegated version, {pIHoHvIp} "we are afraid to kill you", is without question culturally taboo. However, does the fact that {-vIp} is negated by {-be'} change this?
What do others think?
I definitely agree that saying {jI...vIpbe'} is NOT culturally taboo, as it negates the taboo version. Remember that Klingon is not math. So if it is taboo to use -vIp with jI- that does not mean it is a taboo in all cases. What TKD says it that no Klingon would ever admit they are afraid of something. Using -be' negates the being afraid, so I guess it's not taboo to say that. I would even go a step further and say that even without -be' you can negate the phrase and make it a non-taboo version: {not jIHeghvIp} "I am never afraid to die!" {jIHeghvIp 'e' DaQub'a'?} "Do you think I'm afraid to die?" By the way, if you need evidence, it's very small, but think of it this way: If it were a taboo combination, then why was it used as a prominent example in TKD in chapter 4.3? It even explains when those phrases can be used. -- Lieven L. Litaer aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany" http://www.tlhInganHol.com http://klingon.wiki/En/Type2VerbSuffixes