tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Oct 09 08:13:25 1996
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Re: help with this.
- From: [email protected] (Denny Shortliffe)
- Subject: Re: help with this.
- Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 11:12:55 -0400
>
>I'm just starting out at learning tlhIgan Hol and was wondering about the following simple phrase.
>
>I wanted to translate 'target the engines' to tlhIgan and came up with the following:
>
>DoS QuQ
>
>I understand this translates to target engine so If I added -pu' to give {QuQpu'}, does this give me the plural.?
Short answer: No
Longer answer: {DoS} is a noun you could use it if you were saying "the
target is the engine". The correct _verb_ is {puS} [to aim or train, as
in train a gun].
Furthermore, {-pu'} is only the plural for nouns describing beings capable
of language (not including talking computers unless of the high order of
intelligence of Data). The correct plural form is {-mey}.
Furthermore, the correct word order, in Klingon, is object-verb-(subject
-- but there isn't a separate subject in this case). So, the object comes
first, followed by the verb.
Therefore the correct translation of, what I assume is an order to be
issued to your crew, "Target the engines!" is {QuQmey puS}. Note that
this is in "clipped klingon", i.e., the informal speech used in the heat
of battle. The more formal version would require the use of a verb suffix
to indicate the imperative, thus {QuQmey yIpuS}.
Qapla'
qrlIH veStaySortlhIH Sogh la' Lt. Commander K'rlikh Vestai-Shor-Klikh
tlhIngan wo' Duj qIj leng rawI' Commanding Officer, IKV Black Odyssey
Qanpu' pogh DuQ cha'DIch ra wI' Deputy C.O., Mailed Glove Squadron
a.k.a.
--
Denny Shortliffe