tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Aug 07 20:08:45 1997

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Re: KLBC: lut tlhaQ



On Stardate 97600.4 muHwI' wrote:

> ghItlh Qermaq:
> 
> > And now a joke.
>  
> > chay' tlhIngan 'oH qeylIS'e' 'e' wISov?
> "How do we know that Kahless is a Klingon?"
> 
> > verengan 'oHchugh qeylIS'e', maja'be'chuq *Daje'be'chugh, vaj bIHegh*;
> "If Kahless were a Ferengi, we wouldn't say <If you don't buy (feed?) it,
> then you will die>;"
> 
> > maja'chuq *Daje'be'taHchugh vaj bIHeghchoH*!!
> "we would say <If you don't keep on buying (feeding?) it, then you become
> dead>!!"

> a. - Is it that I don't understand the language?

You understood it.

> b. - Is it that I don't understand Klingon sense of humour (yet) ?

Probably.  That is, assuming that Qermaq here has accurately portrayed it.

> c. - Is there a play on the double meaning of {je'} ?

I don't think that's what he had in mind.  Since business is a Ferengi's life, 
if he's not conducting it, he may as well be dead.  From there, he's playing 
off of the saying {bIje'be'chugh vaj bIHegh}.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97602.0


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