tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 10 22:51:20 1998
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Re: KLBC: first try.
- From: "Qermaq" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: first try.
- Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 01:56:49 -0400
ghItlh Qov:
>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}
>
[...excellent explanation snipped...]
>
>{jIQaQchoH vIneH}
>"I want to become good."
I'd like to share my almost GRAMMAR-FREE way of looking at this, just as
another point of view which might work for someone. (Disclaimer: Whatever
happens here, <lugh Qov>.)
Whenever I want to say "I want..." (or "I desire..." or "I wish..." - it's
all "want" in Klingon) I ask myself, "Self, what do you want?" If it's a
thing - "What do I want?" "I want chocolate" - I say <yuch vIneH>. No
problem. The easiest sentence in the world.
Now, if I want an event - "What do I want?" "I want to be happy" - I state
the desired situation. "I am happy" = <jIQuch>. Then I say "I want it" -
<vIneH>. Put it all together, it spells <jIQuch vIneH> = "I want to be
happy."
So with "I want", what you want is always either a thing of some sort, or
some condition or event. Either way, it's <vIneH> - what comes before it is
either the name of the thing or the sentence which expresses the desired
situation.
Bear in mind that "want" works similar to this no matter what the subject
is, but it is the ONLY Klingon verb to work like this. Stuff like "I hate to
be happy" is a little more complex... but only a little.
Qermaq