tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Jan 04 10:03:50 1998
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: pongmey
Qermaq wrote:
|can't pronounce it. Names break the rules sometimes - janluq pIqarD breaks
|observed rules on how to put together names, but it's canon.
It breaks the rules on how to put together *Klingon* names. But <janluq
pIqarD> obviously isn't intended to be a Klingon name. Hell, it's not even
an English name (in spite of his Picard's accent!) Okrand simply provided a
transcription of a foreign name that ta' Hol-speaking Klingons would be
able to pronounce - more or less recognizably. He has given us a few more
transcriptions of Terran names in the Special Klingon issue of STAR TREK
COMMUNICATOR (#104, Aug-Sep 1995):
mayqel Do'rIn Michael Dorn
raqSan bIQ-DawSon Roxann Biggs-Dawson
rabe'rIt 'o'raylIy Robert O'Reilly
mayqel 'anSa'ra Michael Ansara
jan kalI'qoS John Colicos
barbara' ma'rIch Barbara March
ghuwI'nItlh wa'lIS Gwynyth Walsh
>From the Radio Times book we can add:
Day joH Lady Di
There may be a few more "alien" names transcribed by Okrand; I'll have to
go through my notes and check. We should probably add these transcriptions
to the section on Names in the FAQ (there is one, qar'a'?) for those who
just want to transcribe their existing name into tlhIngan Hol rather than
choose a completely new Klingon name for themselves.
|Also check that each syllable (1) starts with a single consonant (2) has a
|vowel next and (3) is followed by a single consonant, one of <w'>, <y'>, or
|<rgh>, or nothing. If two consonants neighbor each other and are not one of
|the above 3, they belong to separate syllables. (There is no written canon
|for this, but every known syllable but 2 are just like this.) (The 2 are
|<oy> and <qarD>.) <qaSa> has two syllables, both Consonant-Vowel-Nothing.
| [snip]
|qaSa (if I may call you that!), your name doesn't translate - yet. That is
|fine, but you must hope that MO doesn't make a verb <Sa> and make it mean
|"be weaker than" - then <qaSa> would mean "I am weaker than you".
Qermaq is right; <qa-> might be interpreted as a verb prefix (which are
never stressed), thus forcing the accent onto the apparently unknown verb
<*Sa>. See TKD p. 17 for a discussion. Going back to Kasha's name, I'd
suggest adding a <'> to ensure that the first syllable receives the stress:
<qa'Sa>. The glottal stop and the very brief pause between the syllables
would also give it a slightly more Klingon "feel," at least to my ears.
|(My name is similarly dangerous - I used the example before of <Qer> meaning
|"idiocy" - then <Qer maq> would be most unflattering.) On the other hand,
|charghwI' and ghunchu'wI' have names derived from the language. Look them
|up.
My own name means nothing whatsoever in Klingon (I hope!). I simply
combined two known Paramount Klingon names from TNG - Morag and Vagh - to
come up with "Voragh", which I just like the sound of.
Bottom line, it's *your* name. Pick something you're comfortable with since
you'll be stuck with it for a long time. (Except, of course, our BG who
managed to successfully change her name upon her promotion.)
Voragh