On 12/10/2018 11:57 AM, mayqel qunenoS wrote:

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.

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.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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