tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Sep 16 12:15:05 1998
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Re: Appositive
- From: Steven Boozer <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Appositive
- Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 14:14:24 -0500 (CDT)
More thoughts on appositives in Klingon. In addition to:
DuraS tuq tlhIngan yejquv patlh luDub 'e' reH lunIDtaH DuraS be'nI'pu'
lurSa' be'etor je.
The sisters of the House of Duras, Lursa and B'Etor, are constantly
seeking a higher standing for the House of Duras within the Klingon
High Council. S26
I found another example of how to handle English appositions.
DaH che' ghawran. yejquv DevwI' moj ghawran 'e' wuqta' cho' 'oDwI'
Dapu'bogh janluq pIqarD HoD.
Gowron currently presides, named leader of the High Council by Captain
Jean-Luc Picard, who was acting as Arbiter of Succession. S25
Note that this last could also be translated "by acting Arbiter of
Succession Captain Jean-Luc Picard". Okrand used a {-bogh} phrase to handle
a participle as one of the elements in an apposition.
Geographic names may also be appositive, though these also make sense as
noun-noun possesives. See KGT p.16f:
veng wa'DIch Sep First City region the First City's region
voSpegh Sep Vospeg region Vospeg's region
Sa'Qej Sep Sakrej region Sakrej's region
Qotmagh Sep Krotmag region Krotmag's region
ghevchoq Sep Gevchok region Gevchok's region
HuD beQ yoS Flat Mountain district Flat Mountain's district
As for ranks and titles:
When used with an individual's name, a title follows the name: tlha'a
HoD (Captain Klaa), cheng Sa' (General Chang), qeng la' (Commander
Kang), and so on." (KGT 52)
If someone has an official title, such as a military rank or a position
in the government, this title follows the name; for example, martaq Sa'
(General Martok), ghawran Qang (Chancellor Gowron). When addressing such
a person, the title is left off only when the occasion is decidedly
nonofficial." (KGT 197f)
These make no sense as possessives. {tlha'a HoD}, {cheng Sa'}, {ghawron
Qang} are certainly not "Klaa's captain", "Chang's general" or "Gowron's
chancellor". {yaS wa'DIch} and {yaS cha'DIch}, though, can be problems:
... regardless of their official ranks, those closest to the captain of
a ship are called yaS wa'DIch (first officer) and yaS cha'DIch (second
officer). Unlike the terms associated with specific duties, however,
these may be used as titles as well. It is correct to say both qImlaq
yaS wa'DIch (First Officer K'mlak) and yaS wa'DIch ghaH qImlaq la''e'
(Commander K'mlak is first officer)." (KGT 53)
{qImlaq yaS wa'DIch} can either mean "First Officer K'mlak" or "K'mlak's
first officer". This can lead to the following somewhat confusing exchange:
ghaH 'Iv?
"Who's he?"
Qugh HoD yaS wa'DIch torgh ghaH.
"He's Capt. Kruge's first officer, Torg."
In writing, punctuation may help:
Qugh HoD yaS wa'DIch, torgh, ghaH.
Hmmm... for fans of Abbott and Costello (or even Rebo and Zooty!), there's
the makings of a Klingon "Who's on first?" routine here.
--
Voragh "Grammatici certant et adhuc sub judice
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons lis est." Horace (Ars Poetica)