tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Apr 09 17:37:06 1997
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RE: More Axioms
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: More Axioms
- Date: Wed, 9 Apr 97 22:59:35 UT
jatlh qarleS:
> I have some more axioms that I translated from "MAFIA MANAGER". I hope
> you(and anyone else on the list serve) can correct me and make sure that I'm
> translating correctly. Thanks.
Okay, but I'd MUCH rather see you just talking, rather than translating.
jIHvaD bIQumlaH'a'? tlhIngan Hol neH DajatlhlaH'a'? choyajchu'chugh vaj
bImughlaH. choyajchu'be'chugh vaj bIjatlhnIS neH, bImughnISbe'.
> "Believe the man and not the oath."
> vajpu' Har `ej `Ipmey not.
These are commands, so you must use the imperative prefixes. You cannot leave
these off.
loD yIHar.
Believe the man.
Changing the translation is cute, but it's not accurate. I won't say
{vajpu'}, I'll say {loD}.
You cannot leave off verbs as English does. The fuller version of this would
be "Believe the man and do not believe the oath." In Klingon, you have to say
{Har} twice.
loD yIHar. 'Ip yIHarQo'.
Believe the man. Do not believe the oath.
You cannot stick adverbials (besides {neH}) at the end of a word or sentence.
They always come at the beginning. In this case, you don't need {not}
"never."
> "Strike first and you strike last."
> mup wa'DIch `ej mup Qav.
I urge you again to reread all of TKD very closely! {wa'DIch} is a ordinal
indicator, which must follow a noun. {mup} is a verb. Also, you cannot use
verbs as adverbials. Therefore, you cannot use {Qav} as one.
This English sentence is a bit "clipped." A fuller version would be, "If you
strike first then you will strike last." Here's a funny bit: I don't know if
I like using {mup} at all here! It also means "impact," and that sounds to me
like something crashing. How about we use the verb {HIv}? It conveys the
right idea. Or, you could use {qIp}.
This is going to get really complicated really fast, so let me start with my
own solution:
HIvpa' latlh, HIvchugh vay', vaj HIvwI' Qav ghaH.
If someone attacks before someone else attacks, he will be the final attacker.
This makes use of several features: {-pa'} "before," {-chugh} "if," {-wI'}
"one who does," and there's even a "to be" construction in there. All of
these are in lots of places in TKD.
HIvpa' latlh
Before someone else attacks
HIvchugh vay'
If someone attacks
vaj HIvwI' Qav ghaH
Then he is the final attacker.
> "After a victory, sharpen your knife."
> yaymo', jejbeH batlh'leth (ghap taj.)
Ack! Okay, nice try with {-beH}, but it's not what we want. "Sharpen" is
going to come out as {jejmoH} "cause to be sharp." This is also a command, so
you must use an imperative prefix. And the word for knife is {taj}, so use
it! {ghap} is a noun conjunction. If you were to use it (which you shouldn't
here), it would have to go *after* the final noun being joined!
There's a suffix which takes care of "after." That suffix is {-DI'}. You
might want to add an completion aspect suffix on the verb to indicate that the
action must be complete:
yay Dachavta'DI' tajlIj yIjejmoH.
As soon as you have achieved a victory, sharpen your knife.
Oh, by the way, forget that nonsense spelling of the big curved Klingon blade.
The correct Klingon word is {betleH}.
> How's that? I working on the more complicated ones.
Yes, these are a bit complicated. I really recommend that you work on
something easier. Preferrably something out of your own head, and not
translations from someone else. Start up a conversation with someone under
KLBC! The two of you will talk in Klingon, and I will help you out when you
need it!
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian