Has anyone translated...

navvam vIHoH.

The WikipIn reminds everyone that unsigned "first person" entries are problematic. Before someone anonymously removed the content, this page contained a brief exchange between two anonymous persons. Because neither of them signed their words, there is no way to know which of them deleted the content. Did the original author become convinced that his attempt at contribution was counterproductive and thus withdraw it? Or did the complaining party delete it himself? (Subtle hints in the change log suggest that the former is more likely to be the case.)

Here is a brief recap of the discussion which preceded the page being wiped:

In doing formal translation projects (such as The Bible, or Shakespeare) we sometimes come across lines that we just have to scratch our head at. Or we come across words that need to be transliterated, but we just can't seem to decide which transliteratoin works best.

Which is why this page exists. Here is where translators can list common words that they've had to "make up". This way if I'm translating a Psalm, and you're translating The Book of Revelations, we can keep some consistency between us.

This list is just a sneaky way to make up words. It has no validity in the context of studying the Klingon language. Wiki ethics forbid one to delete another's work, but deleted this list should be! The choices are arbitrary, sometimes wrong, and would not be understood by a Klingon.

So how would you suggest we go about "translating" said words for formal translation projects?...The words listed here should in no way be considered canon, but as a way for us to currently say the unsayable, and try to keep some consistancy, and keep confusion to a miniumum.

Making up words is not translating. This list does not aid in learning the Klingon language. It only aids in learning your made-up words.

Besides, what if there is disagreement on these made-up words? What if you translate something using one, then someone else disagrees with it, and changes it? Now you've got a translation with a made-up term that nobody is going to recognize, because this list has been changed.

If we decide to start making up our own words, then we're speaking our own language, not the language of the Klingons. E-mail, books, poems, conversation, songs: it doesn't matter.