tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jun 15 09:05:23 1995

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About those extra ' in many Klingon names



On Thu, 15 Jun 1995, Mark E. Shoulson wrote:
(big snip to the end)
> It's nice when the sounds make sense pronunciation-wise, though, so
> something like "r'Hul" I have trouble reading, since there's a truly
> impossible consonant cluster at the beginning (Klingon doesn't have *any*
> initial consonant clusters, least of all r followed by glottal stop
> followed by H).  Still, it's a name, and it really doesn't matter much, if
> people recognize it.

It's interesting that many, many Klingon names in the novels and on 
screen have lots of "apostrophes"...  I suspect that this convention 
might have an origin in Hol.  Someone should put on the MO list, this 
suggestion...

"Usually, a transcription of a Klingon name into English might create a
name such as 
r'Hul, K'mpec, L'Kor, B'elanna, B'etor, K'Temoc, D'Ghor, etc. 
This is a shortened transcription which would in "proper" pIqaD read: 
rI'Hul, qI'Impeq, lI'qor, bI'elanna, bI'etor, qI'temoq, DI'ghor... 
Essentially then, we have a number of lost >I<'s (the Klingon vowel 
closest to having a @ (schwa) nature).  Possibly even in Hol, the >I< 
character is omitted... thus justifying the omission/contraction even 
more.  [Canon note: We *know* that Worf is properly wI'orv; as MO gave 
this to Lawrence....]"


<[email protected]> #1 910 759 5532, fax -6142 ..Pardon me, but if I must
David E G Sturm, Laboratory Manager            operate in a vacuum, may
Wake Forest University Department of Physics   I at least have a little
7507 Reynolda Station, Winston-Salem NC 27109  ether to calm my nerves?



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