tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 10 17:50:41 1998
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Re: KLBC: first try.
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: first try.
- Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 17:48:15 -0700
At 23:00 98-04-09 -0700, Bret Buchanan wrote:
}tlhInganvam nIDwIj wa'DIch. jIneH QaQchoH. qaQaHqang'a'
}
}roughly translated (i hope): This is my first attempt at klingon. I wish to
}become better. Could you help me?
}
}I have read tkd (most of) and, after reading it, I wished to test my
}skills out, and so I belive I have used the correct suffexes/endings.
Your suffix choices *are* good, but some other points of grammar need adjusting.
Wow! So many new Klingonists today! jIbelqu'.
} tlhInganvam nIDwIj wa'DIch.
} This is my first attempt at klingon.
Note that {nID} is a verb, "try" as in "I try" not a noun, as in "first
try." You have to pay careful attention to the (n) or (v) marker after the
word, as many words that are a noun OR verb in English are only one in
Klingon.
The word "this" in English is used on its own as a sort of pronoun: "look
at this!" "this is my first Klingon sentence" and with a noun, as a sort of
adjective "this Klingon is happy" "I like this language." Because the
Klingon noun suffix {-vam} has to be attached to a noun, it canonly be used
to translate the latter usage.
Try re-writing this sentence as "I write my first Klingon sentence." That
steers you around a couple of pitfalls.
} jIneH QaQchoH.
} I wish to become better.
That's a good use of {-choH}, but you've missed a few things.
Klingon has no infinitive, so you have to think about the prefix for every verb.
Instead of saying "I want to become better" the correct Klingon might be
translated "I want I become better." The prefix chart in section 4.1.1
tells us that prefix for <I-no object> is {jI-}. {jIQaQchoH}
The other verb in the sentence, {neH}, also needs a prefix, but you don't
just want generally, you want something in particular, "to become better."
That's an "it," a third person singular object, so {vI-} is the prefix you need.
Now have a second look at section 6.1. The verb always goes *after* its object.
The object is {jIQaQchoH}. The verb is {vIneH}.
{jIQaQchoH vIneH}
"I want to become good."
I recommend {po'} rather than {QaQ}. (Look up {po'} and see if you agree.)
{jIpo'choH vIneH}
"I want to become skilled."
} qaQaHqang'a'
} Could you help me?
Another very appropriate use of suffixes to translate an English idiom into
Klingon. A bit of a problem on the prefix, though. This one is probably a
table look-up error. You are asking if "you" (I'll assume singular,
addressed to me, because of the "KLBC") are willing to help "me." So "you"
is the subject and "me" is the object. Check carefully on the table on page
33. The subjects are down the left hand column, "you" is the second one
down. Go across to the column under "me" and you find the prefix {cho-}.
{choQaHqang'a'}
"Are you willing to help me?"
qaQaHqangbej. qaQaH 'e' vItIv! choyaj'a'?
Qov [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian