tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Feb 17 20:15:13 2004

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Re: Letter Names?

d'Armond Speers, Ph.D. ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

Daniel Abraham wrote:
> When one spells a word in English, one says "Kay, El, Aye..." instead
> of using the actual phonetic sounds ("kkk, lll, eeh..."). How can one
> refer to a specific Klingon letter? For example, how would a
> hypothetical 1st-grade teacher pronounce (not write) the sentence
> "{b} as in {batlh}"?

Perhaps this needs to be in the FAQ, as it does come up from time to time.

The writing system we use here for Klingon is not the same as Klingon
writing ({pIqaD})..  We're using a phonetic transcription of how the words
sound.  We don't actually know anything about how Klingons would write
Klingon (as seen on the show and in the movies); that is, we don't know how
the would make use of {pIqaD}.  (Is it an alphabet?  Syllabary?
Ideographic?)  So, even if we did have Klingon words for the symbols of
{pIqaD}, the only relation these would have to our transcription system is
unofficial.

The way that we write Klingon (not using Klingon symbols, but using letters
of our own alphabet, e.g., {batlh}), is not a Klingon system; it's something
that we use for our own convenience.  As such, there are no Klingon words
for the individual letters in that system.

So what can we do?  Just say the name of letter as you would for English.
Your 1st grade teacher would say "[b] as in {batlh}."  There's nothing wrong
with that.  I don't suppose Klingons have a word for "Volkswagon," so rather
than agonize over what a Klingon might call one (were he to encounter one,
other than perhaps {veQDuj}), just say "Volkswagon."

> By the way, am I correct in assuming that the general term for a
> letter is {Degh} or {pIqaD Degh}? (The latter might also refer to
> punctuation signs?)

I don't think we really know, but that is a convention that some here have
followed.  I've probably used it myself in this way, and I would certainly
understand it.

> bIjaj

-Holtej 'utlh

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