[Tlhingan-hol] Canon for answering negative questions

[lojmIt tI'wI' nuv 'utlh]

Interesting question.

First, we have to assume that Klingons would ever ask a negative question. It might simply not be done. And if it is done, it might be answered with {bIqar} or {bIqarbe’} instead of {HIja’} or {ghobe’}. And we can’t know if one would make a question negative in order to cast doubt on the accuracy of the implied statement, or challenge doubt of the accuracy of the statement.

Think about the difference between:

‘umbe’’a’ loDHom?

and 

‘umbe’ loDHom qar’a’?

We know that the second one implies that the person asking the question believes that the boy is not qualified. The first question? Hmm. jISIv.

Why would we have the two different ways to express the question if there were no shade of difference in our meaning? 

Likely, there’s context to clarify things.

Like if I bring my nephew in for a job interview and you say:

‘umbe’ loDHom, qar’a’?

and then I draw my disrupter and walk up to you, nose to nose and with an air of challenge, through clenched teeth, ask:

‘umbe’’a’ loDHom?

One might interpret this as having a very different meaning than your question. And likely, you wouldn’t answer with {HIja’}, {ghobe’}, {bIqar} or {bIqarbe’} because it would be an inopportune time for miscommunication. You’d want to be very clear about your meaning, whether it was {vIqelqa’ta’. ‘umba’neS, qaH!} or {wej ‘um puqvam jay', qoH!}, or anything in between.

lojmIt tI’wI’ nuv ‘utlh
Door Repair Guy, Retired Honorably



On May 3, 2014, at 6:32 PM, Robyn Stewart <robyn at flyingstart.ca> wrote:

> What canon do we have indicating whether the answer to a negative question like :
> 
> 
> 'umbe''a' loDHom?
> 
> would be
> 
> HIja’, ‘um.
> 
> or
> ghobe’, ‘um.
> 
> All I can think of is cheDuQchugh mareghbe’’a’? which is of course rhetorical.
> 
> Sorry about the smart quotes. jIHvaD QaHqoq ghaq vay’, mail signaturewIj tI’ ‘e’ nIDmo’. I have to redo my mail settings now.
> 
> - Qov
> 
> 
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