[Tlhingan-hol] KLBC: "shut up or I'll hit you"

[lojmIt tI'wI' nuv 'utlh]

I just want to point out that {vaj} is an adverbial, not a conjunction. It’s most commonly used at the beginning of a main clause following a dependent clause that uses {-chugh}, as in {bIjeghbe’chugh vaj bIHegh.} Sometimes, it just starts a sentence. {vaj jatlh *Yarthustra*.}

We most often translate it as “then”, but we mean it in the “thus” meaning of “then” and not the sequential use of the word.

So {jIjegh vaj yIHegh} is pretty much gibberish. “Surrender thus die.”

And one more time… {pagh} connects two statements. It doesn’t connect an imperative and a statement. Either X (is true) or Y (is true). An imperative has nothing to do with truth. It’s not a statement. It’s gibberish when you use an imperative, then {pagh}, then a statement.

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



> On Feb 24, 2016, at 4:45 PM, John R. Harness <cartweel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> For what is meant to be such an imperative sentiment, why is the imperative avoided here? Why not {yIjegh vaj yIHegh}? Why not {yItamchoH pagh qaqIp}? 
>