[Tlhingan-hol] before now

[David Trimboli]

On 3/3/2014 4:36 AM, De'vID wrote:
> De'vID:
>>>>>      How would you express "before now"? "I haven't done
>>>>> this (e.g., written a manuscript) before now."
>>>>>
>>>>>      {ret not ghItlh vIqon}? Can {ret} be used by itself as
>>>>> a time stamp, and can it precede an adverbial {not}?
>
> SuStel:
>>>>       wej vIta'pu'.
>>>>       wej ghItlh vIqonpu'
>
> It doesn't quite have the same sense or emphasis, though. {wej} "not
> yet" connotes a sense of anticipation that "not before now" does not.
>
> "I haven't yet done it" suggests that the speaker intends to do it,
> but hasn't yet. But "I haven't done it before now" implies nothing
> either way - perhaps the speaker intends to do it, but perhaps not.

Grumble, grumble. Then just say {vIta'pu'be'} or {vIta'be'pu'} 
(whichever you agree with) "I haven't done it. The "before now" will 
nearly always be understood. Naturally, if you say such a thing, you 
mean you haven't done it up to now, but you're not saying anything about 
the future.

-- 
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/