tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Aug 07 23:32:18 2003

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Re: Bumper Sticker (was Re: Klingon WOTD: qIm (v))

David Trimboli ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

From: "Heather Myers" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 12:03 AM
Subject: RE: Bumper Sticker (was Re: Klingon WOTD: qIm (v))


>
> jatlh Steven Boozer:
>
> >> I do recall that (as always!) there was some discussion as to whether
> >> Okrand was responsible for the bumper sticker (he was a consultant on
> the
> >> game itself).  Many thought that {qIm} was unnecessarily clipped,
> >>expecting {yIqIm tera'ngan}.
>
> jatlh SuStel:
>
> >What?  Why?  Not only is a bumper sticker saying "Attention, Earther!"
> a
> >PERFECT reason to clip the phrase, it's also the perfect clipping.
> /yIqIm/
> >means you're only speaking to one Earthling.  But this bumper sticker
> might
> >be talking to more than one, or it might not.  Clipped, it makes
> absolutely
> >no difference.  /qIm tera'ngan/, recognized as clipped, means both
> >"Attention, Earther!" and "Attention, Earthers!"
> >
> >The bumper sticker was phrased perfectly, whether Okrand wrote it or
> not.
>
> jIjatlh jIH:
>
> When you're driving, there can really only be one person behind you who
> can read your bumper sticker, so why not /yIqIm/?

Many cars contain passengers in the passenger seat!  And what about people
looking at your bumper sticker when your car is parked?  Or across lanes at
a stop light?  There are lots of instances where more than one person will
be reading your bumper stickers.

I often see people behind me pointing out my HOODYHOO license plate to the
person sitting next to them . . . .

>  Isn't Clipped Klingon
> usually only used in tense situations where using the full version of
> words would take too long to be useful?  How does that apply to a bumper
> sticker, anyway?

No, clipped Klingon is used to indicate a comfortable command of the
language, too.  I believe this comes up in Power Klingon in the section on
clipped language.  It represents "an alliegence to military jargon," and can
be used in everyday situations.  It's also used to command pets (and, I
suspect, computers).  "Clipped Klingon is used quite extensively in all
walks of Klingon life."

Besides, most traffic situations I can think of where you want to get an
Earthling's attention IS tense, with time being too short for the full
version.

SuStel
Stardate 3600.7

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