tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jul 16 12:40:46 2003
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Re: Using New Words
Tyler Fisher wrote:
>Here is my attempt to try and use some of the new vocabulary in sentences.
Since you didn't flag this "KLBC", I'll comment.
>{qa'rI'Daq wovmoHwI' tu'lu'.}
>There's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Although Okrand didn't use it in a sentence, you still need to specify what
type of {qa'rI'} you're talking about: {'och qa'rI'} "the end of the
tunnel", {chob qa'rI'} "the end of the corridor", {yatlh tIq qa'rI'} "the
end of a long field", etc.
Note that {wovmoHwI'} is a device for producing light, not the actual light
itself. (Cf. {telDaq wovmoHwI'mey} "Wing Lights" [KBoP].) At the moment,
all we can do is say that something - e.g. the end of the tunnel itself -
is {wov} "be light, bright":
wov 'och qa'rI'.
... though I admit that this isn't even close to feel of the original.
>{'ej DaH DorchoH 'ej vaj bertlham vIqaD...}
>And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain...
What's the subject of {Dor}? In Okrand's words it is "a stretch of
time". How about {yInwIj} "my life", {yInwIj lut} "the story of my life",
{yInwIj tuH} "the adventure of my life", {yInwIj bertlham} "the (very) end
of my life", etc.?
One could also say somewhat literally
Sum yInwIj bertlham
my life's end is near (nearby)
Nice use of {qaD}, though. It echoes
nIteb Qob qaD jup 'e' chaw'be' SuvwI'
A warrior does not let a friend face danger alone. TKW
Putting this together:
DaH DorchoH yInwIj bertlham 'ej vaj vIqaDnIS
now the (very) end of my life comes to an end and so I must face it
DaH DorchoH yInwIj 'ej vaj bertlhamDaj vIqaD
now my life comes to an end and so I face it's end
DaH DorchoH yInwIj 'ej tugh bertlhamDaj vIqaDnIS
now my life comes to an end and soon I must face it's end
etc.
Okay, the two "ends" are repetitive in English but it sounds better in
Klingon.
Hmm... for some reason {'ej vaj} "and so" feels redundant in Klingon (but
not in English). You might just use {vaj} alone.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons