tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Nov 30 20:26:04 1997
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Re: batleth (sp?)
ja' QatanI:
>chotIch , vaj paghbe' vISovbej. tlhIngan Hol -- vItagh.
bItaghmo' qatIchbe'nISlaw'. 'ach bImISmo' qalughnISmoHlaw'.
I probably shouldn't insult a beginner, but maybe I should correct you.
"You insult me, thus I certainly know nothing-not."
This looks like you took my {vaj pagh DaSovbej} phrase and tried to turn
it around. You got the verb prefix right, but I'm not sure why you left
the {vaj} there. It makes me think my insulting you is the justification
or reason for your knowing something.
{-be'} is a verb suffix, and doesn't work to negate a noun like {pagh}.
If you mean "I certainly know something," say {vay' vISovbej}.
What is it you are beginning? It's certainly not the Klingon language;
Marc Okrand already did that over a decade ago. :-) Are you beginning
to *learn* Klingon? There's a useful verb prefix for the idea of starting
to do something: try {tlhIngan Hol vIghojchoH}.
>batlh Hutlh Daqawlu'taH !
Taking existing phrases and modifying them is a fine way to learn. Here
you appear to have tried to negate {batlh Daqawlu'taH} by adding the word
{Hutlh}, but that's not appropriate here. {batlh} is being used as the
adverbial "honorably", not as the noun "honor". The idea "lack honor" is
not what needs to be said. You should say {batlhHa' Daqawlu'taH} instead;
"You will be remembered dishonorably."
>(not so bat, huh?)
Your willingness to *use* the language is wonderful, and your errors are
a fine opportunity to learn. If you aren't making mistakes, you probably
aren't writing enough. :-)
chotIch DaneHchugh, yIjatQo'.
bIghoj DaneHchugh, HItIchQo'.
-- ghunchu'wI'