tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Oct 23 19:22:15 1996

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Words from the wild (was Re: Par'Mach is ...)

At 06:45 PM 10/23/96 -0700, Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen wrote:
>On a related note, something which comes to mind is just how to pronounce
>"par'mach."  Everyone seems to be going on the assumption that it actually
>looks like it's spelled.  But, keep in mind, this is a spelling of the word
>for the convenience of speakers of Federation Standard.  Consider the
>possibility that the actors were told that the word ends in "-ch" because
>it sounds like the last sound in the name of German composer Bach (and they
>proceeded to mispronounce it, as they've done so often in the past); and
>that in fact the word would be rendered in Hol as "parmaH".  Viewed that
>way, we actually have a similar example in thlIngan Hol, a joke in fact
>that Krankor once pointed out: "neHmaH" or "neutral zone" whic looks like
>it's made of the elements "want" and "we."  One could make the same
>argument (and I am NOT making it) that "parmaH" might be better analyzed as
>made up of "dislike" and "we" than "dislike" and "small."  Just more fuel
>for the fire.

I have thought of this myself and have also come up with "parmaH". "We
dislike" sounds a little less friendly than "small dislike", but yet another
possibility. But the best we've seen is probably "small dislike" which has
some convincing arguments in its favour (favour -- not favor! Canadian
spelling!). That's probably the best explanation that we'll get out of this.

But let's face it -- we'll never figure out the true meaning unless someone
asks them what they meant to convey. All we'll come up with are
possibilities, which are all fine and dandy; but possibilities, nonetheless,
which aren't always right.

Besides, as stated before, the language has evolved and therefore many
meanings are lost in translation (i.e. Shine my nose and I'll give you your
nose). I say let's just leave it at that. :)


--Dark Viper-----------------------------
vuvnISqu'lu'
tlhIngan De' chu'vaD:
http://www.spectranet.ca/~dviper/tlhIngan
(rInHa')
-----------------------------------------

Back to archive top level