tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Apr 29 20:18:41 1995
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Spring Issue of HolQeD
- From: [email protected]
- Subject: Spring Issue of HolQeD
- Date: Sat, Apr 29, 1995 10:20:01 PM
Dear 'Netters:
I would like to comment on the spring issue of HolQeD. I found some of the grammatical interpretations in this issue remarkable and I felt it important to warn everyone of the dangers.
1. jIH po' law SoH po' puS. My judgement is that this should be jIpo' law' bIpo' puS. Stative verbs can only be used as adjectives when they modify *nouns* (TKD 4.4) not to modify *pronouns*. jIH and SoH can in fact be used as nouns, but only under the conditions described in TKD 5.1 page 52...only for emphasis or added clarity, which does not apply here. In TKD 6.6 page 71, we read "The verb of quality must be said twice. jIpo' and bIpo' are both the same verb, even though the prefixeds are different and this requirement is satisfied. Furthermore, it must be remembered that a stative verb is still a verb, not an adjective , even in a comparative construction and can be conjugated just like any other verb. "I am an expert" is jIpo' *not* jIH po'. And similiarly you are an expert is bIpo', *not* SoH po'. I sincerely hope that if you have been using structures like this, you will rethink your strategy very carefully.
2. Question: tlhobtaHghach. In the September '94 issue of HolQeD, page 11 Marc Okrand explained that -ghach is equivalent to the English suffixes -tion and 'ness. -ness means: the condition of and -tion is equivalent to a participle ending in -ing. Thus the formation tlhob taHghach would be defined as: the condition of continually asking. This can only mean inquisitiveness. The truth of the matter is,that as things stand now, there is no word for question in Klingon. I prefer "qay' Dochvetlh." That is the problem. Since in "to be or not to be", we really don't mean *question* in the sense of "what time is it?"
3. junneSghach. I hope none of you are seriously considering using this. In TKD 4.2.8 (-neS) is only used when addressing a superior. To address someone, to speak directly tohim or her requires a second person prefix, (qa, cho, bI, bo etc.). The minute you add a prefix, you're into another area that Okrand has declared "weird." "Weird science" may be fun, but "weird Klingon" is to be avoided.
4. Ace; jenwI'. According to TKD page 64, -wI' is defined as "one who is" when used with stative verbs. Thus jenwI' would be defined as "one who is high, a high person" not a high card. Anyway in many card games the ace is *not* the high card. Better is simply wa' since ace is simply Number One.
5. On page 9 of HolQeD, Barron uses choHQo' in the sentence "His indecisiveness won't change." While it is true that -Qo' is defined as don't or won't, the word "won't" has two quite different meanings in English. One is a negative furture (It won't rain tomorrow.) and the other is refusal, an act of volition (I won't do it.). -Qo' implies refusal, not future. (I refuse to do it.) rather than future (wa'leS SiSQo') cannot be translated as It won't rain tomorrow, unless you mean It refuses to rain tomorrow. In that case you should use wa'leS SiSbe'.
6. Another issue which Krankor raises, is: We know how to compare adjectives in Klingon, but there is no method mentioned in TKD for comparing adverbs. How do we compare adverbs? Most of us have tried to avoid the issue by modifying slightly the words employed. "I speak Klingon better than you" is implied when you say "tlhIngan HolwIj QaQ law' tlhIngan HollIj QaQ puS." (My Klingon is better than yours.) Until Okrand speaks out on this issue, there is a way to compare adverbs which is grammatically consistent with TKD and I intend to address the issue in the next issue of qIb HeHDaq, so those of you who are members of Interstellar Language School, will read about it then.
Finally I would like to plead with everyone *not* to express a grammatical opinion about something until you have carefully considered whether your views are consistent with TKD, canon and Okrand's stated opinion. Ultimately this is Okrand's language and it is futile to try to challenge his opinion. I feel there is far too much shooting from the hip in this business. Do you want HolQeD to be a serious publication or just another fanzine? The choice is up to you.
Glen Proechel
Please send any responses to [email protected]; or Box 281, Red Lake Falls, MN 56750.