tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Dec 03 08:05:39 2010

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RE: wovmoHwI'mey yupma'

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) 

Voragh:
>>   DIngwI' mach vIghaj jIH.
>>   lamvo' vIchenmoHpu'.
>>   QaDchoHpu'DI' 'eHchoH,
>>   ghIq DIngwI' vIQujqu'!
>>
>> I thought there would be comments by now!  I guess some people don't
>> recognize the "Dreydl Song" ({DIngwI'} "spinner, top".)

QeS:
>I actually did recognise it (though to my everlasting shame I originally
>have an episode of South Park to thank for that...), but didn't comment
>because I thought it was rather well rendered! I'm reticent about {lamvo'}
>for the same reason you are, but due to the pretty strong metric constraints
>I don't think I can do much better.

Thanks.  I was rather pleased with how it came out.  I guess the spirit of Kahless - himself a kindred spirit to Judas Maccabeus if there ever was one! - inspired me.

>Also, since {'eH} is an exclamation the use of {-choH} on it is jarring.
>What about saying {rInchoH} "it becomes accomplished" instead?

I don't have my TKD with me, but I thought {'eH} is a quality that can also be used as an exclamation (similar to the adverbial {tugh} "soon", also used as an exclamation: "Hurry up! Be quick about it!").  Would someone check the TKD glossary to see if {'eH} is labeled "v."?  My notes indicate:

{'eH} - be ready; Ready! (excl) 
  "{SuH}, {Su'} and {'eH} all mean that the speaker is about to give a command. They are comparable to the "Ready!" at the beginning of a race: "Ready! Set! Go!" {SuH} and {Su'}, but not {'eH}, can also be used to indicate that the speaker is ready to do something or that arrangements have been made for something to happen. Some speakers of Klingon pronounce {SuH} as if it were {SSS}, almost like the English expression for "be quiet": shhh!" (TKD 57)]
  - 'eH! Ready! (response to a command, i.e. "Standing by.") STMP [This was one of the eleven original Klingon words created by James Doohan and spoken by Mark Lenard (through a set of prosthetic teeth) in the opening scene of STMP which Marc Okrand subsequently used as the basis for {tlhIngan Hol}.]
  (cf. {ghuH} prepare for, {ghuS} prepare to launch, {qeq} practice, train, prepare, {-rup} ready, prepared [beings] & {-beH} ready, set up [devices])

Since there are no declined examples, I don't know if we can say:

  ? DIngwI' vIQuj vIneHqu'.  DaH jI'eH!
    I really want to play dreydl.  I'm ready now!

or if we must use {-rup}:

  DaH DIngwI' vIQujrup!
  I'm ready to play dreydl now!

Now looking at my cross references I can imagine a Klingon child using {ghuS} "prepare to launch" and {baH} "fire/launch (torpedo, rocket, missile)" WRT a {DIngwI'}.  

BTW, anyone remember who coined {DIngwI'} as a translation for dreydl in our past Hanukkah discussions?  In this case I think it works better as a name for a toy than transcribing it *{tlheyDIl}, *{DeyDIl}, *{DIretlh}, etc.


--
Voragh                          
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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