tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Oct 09 20:59:07 1996
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Re: jInajpu'
96-10-09 21:29:29 EDT, jatlh peHruS:
> While I tacitly agree that only Marc Okrand has the right to coin new
words,
> I would like to see KLI, for example, analyzing the language in the manner
I
> have done above and "suggesting". We could then get the final word from
MO
> as to how close we have come to the bullseye.
Err . . . that's silly. First off, you can't "analyze" the language as you
have done. Such analysis assumes that the language has evolved into what it
is. Klingon hasn't. It was created by one man, and is an artificial
language. Sure, it has a cute little story describing Old Klingon or some
such entity, but there never really has been such a thing. Your list is not
an analysis. It is a list of words which tell me "Oh, I wish Klingon was
easier! I don't know how to say these words!"
And why bother circulating your ideas (which I couldn't really decipher
without sitting down and thinking carefully about them) when you're not going
to hear from Okrand about it with any regularity? I'm sure he has better
things to do than to make the language easier for some people to understand
because they can't find a word they are looking for. Occasionally, sure,
he's pleased, but the level of involvement you're suggesting is much more.
At the qep'a' wejDIch, the KLI prepared its annual (about as regular as it's
going to get, I suspect) wish list for Okrand, so that he might see what
might want attention. I don't know about previous lists, but this one was of
the "tell us more about this" variety rather than the "how do you say" sort.
I mean, look how much we have deciphered from a few trickles of Klingon in
our various sources. Look at what a gold mine TKW was! It's clear that
Okrand has been listening, but he'll respond on his own terms.
Sorry for going on about this. I just don't see that any of your suggestions
are justified, and I don't like the idea of Okrand backfitting them (and, I
suspect, neither would he). When he contributes, let him not twist the
language out of shape, but rather allow us to understand it more fully!
SuStel
Stardate 96775.2