tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 10 16:45:34 1998
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Re: KLBC: tlhIHvaD jIlIH'egh
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: tlhIHvaD jIlIH'egh
- Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 16:43:09 -0700
At 15:37 98-04-09 -0700, qeyyoH 'elISabetlh wrote:
}*qeyyoH 'elISabetlh* 'oH pongwIj 'e'. My name is *qeyyoH 'elISabetlh*
Note the difference between the WORD {'e'} and the suffix {-'e'}. The word
{'e'} stands alone, refers to the previous sentence, and is always the
object of a verb. The suffix {-'e'} attaches to a noun, and indicates the
topic of the sentence. The two are unrelated except for spelling.
In the sentence above you need the suffix. {pongwIj'e'}
Qov 'oH pongwIj'e'. chu'wI'pu' vIboQ.
}jIDel'egh: I describe myself.
maj.
} wej be' moj puqbe'vam, 'ach Hem 'ej be' quv ghaj.
}This girl has not yet become a woman, but is proud and has a woman's
}honor.
batlh Hol jatlh je be'vam! nughmaj muvta'mo' ghaH jIbel.
A couple of points:
1. "have honor" may be an English idiom. We have patience, have honour,
have a fit, have time ... Klingons may use {ghaj} only for actual possessions.
2. I recommend you use the perfective on {moj}.
be' moj - she becomes a woman, she became a woman, she will become a woman
be' mojpu' - she had become a woman, she has become a woman, she will have
become a woman
You want to say that she has not yet completed the process of becoming a
woman. The emphasis is really on completion. Thus the perfective.
}chal rur mInDu'Daj SuD. qIj jIb, DaQ tIq bagh.
}Her eyes are sky blue. Her hair is black, tied in a long
}ponytail.
majQa'. The second is literally "The hair is black, she tied a long ponytail."
You might say also {DaQ tIq baghlu'pu'} "a long ponytail has been tied," or
{baghpu'}, "she has tied." Again the emphasis is on the result of the
action being completed, so perfective is appropriate.
DaQ bagh - she tied a ponytail
DaQ baghpu' - she has tied a ponytail
}reH vIHtaH, Hoch bejtaH, paghHom jatlh.
}She moves constantly, watches everything, and speaks very
}little.
{paghHom}. That's an interesting word. Not everyone will like it, but I do.
Less controversially, you could say {rut jatlh}. "She seldom speaks."
}Habbe' QuchDaj 'ach tlhIngan Quch rurbe'law'.
}Her forehead isn't quite smooth, but doesn't seem quite...
}Klingon.
Your grammar is correct, but I'd translate it "... doesn't seem Klingon."
For "doesn't seem quite Klingon" I'd say {tlhIngan Quch rurqu'be'law'}. To
the speaker's perception it {rurqu'be'} "doesn't really resemble" a Klingon
Quch.
loQ ponglIj vIqawlaw'. maqIH'a'?
Qov [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian