tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Aug 23 18:05:31 2003

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Re: Grammar Question

Tad Stauffer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']


Jeff Sipek wrote:
> > > Ok, I think I'm trying to read this too deeply. Which one is the popular
> > > one?
> > >
> > > 1) Quch Hab ghaj SoSlI'
> > > 2) Hab SoSlI' Quch

>On Saturday 23 August 2003 17:24, ...Paul wrote:
> > vIqawtaHvIS jIlughchugh...  (If I remember correctly)...
> >
> > #1.  "Quch Hab ghaj SoSlI'"

Actually, in Power Klingon, the insult is given as {Hab SoSlI' Quch}.
Maybe Okrand felt that "Your mother has a smooth forehead" was a better 
translation than the literal "Your mother's forehead is smooth", since the 
Klingon version leaves "forehead" for the final word of the insult.
Maybe {Quch} is sort of like a punchline, and is what makes this a real zinger:
Hab SoSlI'... *Quch*!
Your mother has a smooth... FOREHEAD! [not a literal translation of the 
previous line]
If {Quch} is the most important part, the insult and its translation lose 
some of their potency if {Quch}/forehead isn't at the end:
Quch Hab ghaj... SoSlI'!
Your mother's forehead is... SMOOTH! [not a literal translation of the 
previous line]

So according to PK, it seems like {Hab SoSlI' Quch} is the "popular" form 
of the insult, although I wouldn't be surprised if {Quch Hab ghaj SoSlI'} 
would be equally insulting. In fact, maybe a Klingon would find {Quch Hab 
ghaj SoSlI'} more insulting, even if it has less punch at the end - if you 
say {Quch Hab ghaj SoSlI'}, you aren't just spouting out the common/popular 
version of the insult, you're actually taking the time to rephrase it. 
You'd be implying that the mother's forehead smoothness is a fact and can 
be described in several ways, rather than it just being a stock phrase that 
is always said the same way.

- taD

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