tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Mar 10 22:05:13 1997
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RE: KLBC: My first attempt
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: My first attempt
- Date: Tue, 11 Mar 97 06:03:14 UT
On Monday, March 10, 1997 11:52 PM, [email protected] on behalf of Jeroen
de Wijn wrote:
> Hello all.
Hi!
> I have just started with Klingon, and I'd like some feedback on how I
> am doing.
That's what I'm here for!
> tlhInganwIj vItob
> (I am testing my Klingon)
When referring to the Klingon Language, you must say {tlhIngan Hol}. If you
just say {tlhIngan}, you mean a Klingon. You're testing your Klingon, and
I'll bet he's getting angry with all that poking and prodding you're doing!
You can say {tlhIngan HolwIj vItob} "I am testing my Klingon (language)." You
can even say {tlhIngan Hol laHwIj vItob} "I test my Klingon language ability."
> Qapla' jImughta'a'
> (Have I translated succesfully?)
{Qapla'} is a noun, not an adverbial, and cannot be used as such. If you want
to talk about doing something correctly, absolutely perfectly, you can use the
verb suffix {-chu'}. See TKD 4.2.6.
jImughchu'ta''a'?
Have I translated completely perfectly?
> jInIDta'
> (My attempts:)
Actually, It means "I have attempted (general object)." I'd recommend you use
a specific object:
mu'tlheghmeyvam vInIDta':
I have attempted these sentences:
> qulwIj yIwov
> (Light my fire)
Oh, dear. This is not meant to be taken literally. You don't have a bunsun
burner underneath you. Literally, what you said is "Be bright my fire." What
you need to do is add the verb suffix {-moH} on there (see TKD 6.2.4). Then,
it's {qulwIj yIwovmoH} "cause my fire to be bright."
But you don't really mean this. Literally, you want something closer to
qulwIj yImeQmoH.
Make my fire burn.
> HochtlhuHmey Datlhap
> (Every breath you take)
Oh, no, not another one! Okay, let's see. "Taking" a breath is an English
idea, I doubt it works in Klingon. Now, I don't know if one can use the verb
{tlhuH} to mean "breathe (something)," but let's try it:
Hoch tlhuH DatlhuHbogh
Every breath which you breathe.
Note that {Hoch} is a seperate word. I don't know if this was a typo on your
part, or if you thought you were supposed to make a compound. {Hoch} remains
apart.
Also, I used {-bogh}. "Every breath you take" is not a complete sentence, and
neither is what I wrote in Klingon. Look at TKD 6.2.3 to see how {-bogh}
works.
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97191.7