2013-06-26

Willingness, Unwillingness, Readiness and Fear

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After the last lesson, describing the use of the suffix -Qo' don't!, won't to denote refusal, and of course as the imperative form of the suffix -be' (which cannot be used in an imperative command), the topic moves on to one of volition, willingness, predisposition and requirement.

There are five Type 2 suffixes: -qang willing, -nIS must, have to, -vIp afraid, -rup ready, prepared and -beH ready, prepared.

Each of these suffixes will be covered in a separate lesson.

Because they are Type 2, these suffixes always come before any of the Type 7 and Type 9 suffixes, such as the ones already encountered. You would say bIHeghqangmo' Because you are willing to die, rather than the incorrect *bIHeghmo'qang*.

-qang willing

-qang indicates a willingness to perform the stated action.

reH tlhInganvetlh vISuvI am always fighting that Klingon
reH tlhInganvetlh vISuvqangI am always willing to fight that Klingon
qagh DaSopYou are eating gagh
qagh DaSopqangYou are willing to eat gagh
nu'oSShe represents us
nu'oSqangShe is willing to represent us
jagh DIjeyWe will defeat the enemy
jagh DIjeyqangWe are willing to defeat the enemy

-qang And Rovers

A suffix like -qang is a perfect way of highlighting how the rover suffixes -be' not and -qu' emphatic work.

De' wIQayqangWe will transfer the data
De' wIQaybe'qangWe are willing to not transfer the data/
(but rather, e.g. to destroy it instead)
De' wIQayqangbe'We are not willing to transfer the data

paq vIlaDqangI am willing to read the book
paq vIlaDqu'qangI am willing to comprehensively read the book
paq vIlaDqangqu'I am highly willing to read the book
paq vIlaDbe'qu'qangI am willing to thoroughly not read the book
paq vIlaDqu'be'qangI am willing to read the book less than thoroughly
paq vIlaDqu'qangbe'I am not willing to read the book comprehensively
paq vIlaDqangbe'qu'I am emphatically unwilling to read the book

So much subtlety. So many layers of meaning, from just the position of one or two roving suffixes.

Next: the suffix -nIS need, must.

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