tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Nov 20 13:21:29 2006
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Re: thankful
naHQun wrote:
>>So I've been trying to figure out how to say
>>"I'm thankful for X", but I can't seem to figure it out.
mIq'ey:
>This may be naive of me, but how about just {X-mo' vay' vItlho' vIneH}?
"I want to thank someone because of X"
A bit long, but perfectly grammatical.
>I don't know what to do if you don't want to specify the direct object,
>even indefinitely. {X-mo' jIvItlho' vIneH}? Can one thank intransitively?
Absolutely. Just use the "no object" verb prefixes:
used when there is no object; that is, when the action of
the verb affects only the subject (the "doer") [...] also
used "when an object is possible, but unknown or vague.
(TKD p.33)
So one would simply say {[X-mo'] jItlho'}.
>>I keep going back to {tlho'}, but "thank" and "thankful" are two
>>different words.
In English perhaps. Maybe not in Klingon.
If you don't like the verb and feel a little adventurous, consider using
the noun {tlho'} "appreciation, gratitude". One way might be ?{tlho'
vIghaj} on the model of {pIch vIghajbe'} "It's not my fault" (lit. "I don't
have fault/blame") in TKD. We've seen {ghaj} "have, possess" used with
other intangible nouns - {tlham} "gravity", {quv} "honor", {pegh} "secret",
{De'} "information" - so using it with {tlho'} is not out and out wrong,
merely completely unattested. Still, I would just stick with {X-mo'
jItlho'}.
Whatever method you do use, use it sparingly. Klingons do not express
thanks as often as humans do. Here are some anecdotes I've collected
regarding {tlho'}:
[In the Great Hall on Kronos]
ARCHER: "I'll take that as a 'thank you'."
SATO: "I don't think they have a word for 'thank you'." (ENT "Broken Bow
Pt. II")
When Picard told Ambassador Kell *K'adlo* "Thank you", Kell gave him an odd
look, then nodded (or grunted) and left the room. (TNG "The Mind's Eye")
At qep'a' loSDIch Okrand was puzzled by a comment someone made and said
something like, "There's a word for Thank you?" Someone told him {qatlho'},
and he said something along the lines of, "I never intended it to mean
'thanks'" and elaborated a little on the circumstances it would be used
in." (Qov)
"When Marc Okrand signed my TKD I think I said {qatlho'neS}, which was
probably a bit effusive, but hey, I was excited. He replied in English
something close to, 'Well, there's NO Klingon response to that'." (Qov)
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons