tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Apr 21 08:01:37 1998

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Re: KLBC: jIQoS

At 01:52 98-04-21 -0700, Kira wrote:
}Re: Reply to jItaghwI'.
}
}jIQoS.  tlhIngan HolvIjatlhlaHbe'.  taghwI' jIH.

}Thank you.  I understand now.  My Klingon is realy bad (non-existant in
fact.)  But
}I realy want to learn, so any help wil be greatly appreciated.  With help i
will
}achieve Qapla' !
}
}I know that there are no words for please, thank you, and the like in
tlhIngan Hol,
}but is there any way of getting round this?  I mean how would you say thank
you if
}someone gave you help?  Would you?

First of all, realize that the amount of polite words you use in speech is
more linked to the language you are speaking than to how polite you actually
are.  I once roomed with a girl from Finland who was very concerned about
being polite, but who was confused by English circumlocutions like "would
you please pass me the water?" and "could you please close the window," so
she explained straight off that "give me the water, please" and "close the
window please" were not meant to be impolite, just that imperatives were the
normal ay of making requests for her.  In Canada if someone bumps into
someone in a crowd, or even passes very close to someone on a street, BOTH
parties say sorry, at the same time. Americans think this is nuts.  Klingons
very likely think it's nuts if you thank someone for correcting your
grammar, following an order, or picking a bit of qagh off your shiny new
uniform.

In Klingon, if you want to politely request that someone read your story, say:
{lutwIj yIlaD} "read my story."  If you want to be rude about it, say
{lutwIj yIlaD jay'} "read my @$%^ing story" or {lutwIj DalaDbe'chugh HughlIj
vISIj} "read my story or I'll slit your throat."  If you want to show
respect to the person you were asking, you could say {lutIj yIlaDneS}, that
is, put the type-7 suffix {-neS} on the verb, for an effect I would
translate as "do me the honour of reading my story, sir."  It makes the
sentence more polite.  Note that it is NEVER required, and that Klingons
don't go around pretending to show respect to others as part of a cultural
routine of politeness.  

There is a verb {tlho'}, thank, appreciate, that with the appropriate prefix
can be used to thank people.  You don't acknowledge thanks either with
"you're welcome" or by dismissing them.  Some KLIers say {maj}, an
expression of approval, for small favours, like a door held open or a seat
saved.  You could also say how what the person did makes you feel.  "You
honour me"  "I enjoy that"  "I'm happy."

When Marc Okrand signed my TKD I think I said {qatlho'neS}, which was
probably a bit effusive, but hey, I was excited.  He replied in English
something close to "well, there's NO Klingon response to that."

Also look at the verb {tlhIj} but remember don't apologize like a Canadian.
If you post saying {jItlhIj 'ach lutwIj DalaDlaH'a'?  qatlho'qu'neS!} I'll
laugh at you.  That's because I'm not a real Klingon, who might skewer you
for thinkning he was stupid enough to be distracted by wittering language as
a distration while your friends attack.

I don't expect you to say thank you in Klingon if I help you.  I expect you
to learn Klingon. :)  

Now, starting to learn Klingon.  Here's a place to start.

There is a phrase in the appendix, {Du'IHchoHmoH mIvvam} Yes, {mIvvam} is
one ord, hard to see in that font.  Look up its meaning in the appendix,
then look up all the parts, like this.  

First: read section 3.3 and 4.1.
Du-    Read section 4.1.1 and examine the table.
'IH    Find on vocabulary list
-choH  Read section 4.2.3
-moH   Read section 4.2.4
mIv    Find on vocabulary list
-vam   Read section 3.3.4

Then post and explain the more literal meaning of {Du'IHchoHmoH mIvvam}.

For extra challenge:
Use what you've learned to try to write the sentence 
"That jacket suits me."

Qov     [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian

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