tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Apr 28 15:10:11 2008

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Re: Canonicity

Alan Anderson ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

On Apr 27, 2008, at 8:28 AM, Jonathan Webley wrote:
> Level 0
>
> Words, phrases or grammar that are not tlhIngan Hol. This class would
> include klingonaase and words such as "gin'tak".

KGT includes {ghIntaq} (n) "battle spear, /Gin'tak/" in the lexicon.

> Level 2
>
> Words, phrases or grammar that were devised by the Klingon Language
> Institute. Whilst it is acknowledged that the KLI does not have the  
> power or
> authority to devise new Klingon, any interpretations or usage are  
> considered
> useful additions to the language. This material could summarily be
> overturned by Okrand. It is not accepted by everyone.

The KLI is merely the publisher of some of these, not the "devisor".   
They should have no more special place in your fancied "heirarchy"  
than an email message or blog post from you or me or anyone except  
Marc Okrand.

> Level 3
>
> Words, phrases or grammar that were indirectly devised or  
> authorised by
> Okrand. This includes novels where Okrand collaborated with the  
> authors.
> Material is generally accepted where typographical errors have been
> corrected. Some purists will not accept this material as canon.

Some of these are associated with Marc Okrand only insofar as he is  
the one who created the Klingon language.  DeCandido received direct  
assistance on his latest works not from Okrand, but from the KLI.   
The specific references {jeghpu'wI'}, {qaDrav}, and {yobta' yupma'}  
were suggested by individual KLI members.

> Level 4
>
> Words, phrases or grammar that were directly devised or authorised by
> Okrand. This material, excluding the odd mistake, is accepted as  
> canon by
> everyone.

Even the mistakes are "accepted as canon".  They're just treated as  
canonical errors. :)

> *	KLS: Former Paramount web site - Star Trek Continuum: Klingon
> Linguistic Studies

Only the words and their pronunciation come from Okrand.  The people  
who created the site "embellished" some of the definitions,  
occasionally to the point of breaking them completely.  {jaj} "day"  
specifically mentioned *Earth's* rotation, and {meH} "bridge" was a  
structure for crossing a body of water.

> *	Hallmark card (is there a image posted anywhere?)

It wasn't a card.  It was a television commercial for the Bird of  
Prey ornament, in Klingon with English subtitles.

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