tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Sep 04 03:56:21 1993
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Re: tlhInganpu' / tlhInganmey
- From: "David E G Sturm, Sturm & Drang Inc." <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: tlhInganpu' / tlhInganmey
- Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1993 04:31 CST
>>From: [email protected]
>>...The sentient plural `-pu'` originally meant "the whole group, all that
there ar
e": `tlhInganmey` = "those Klingons, some Klingons" / `tlhInganpu'` =
"the Klin
gons as a whole, all the Klingons", c.f.:-
>> [discussion of using >+pu`< in military context, and a statement that
>+mey< can be used to give an overtone of disorderliness...]
wo' ne'lI'!!
My understanding (*please* correct me if I'm in error) is that +mey does
indeed indicate diasporan plural if used with body parts in place of +Du'
or with words with asimilar plurals (e.g. >pengmey< torpedoes all over the
place, no particular firing pattern, >cha< torpedoes (fired together in
same direction)).
But wouldn't the distinction of using +mey in place of +pu' indicate a
contemptible comment as to a group's lack of tlhIngan intelligence?
naDev tera'nganmey
...would appear to be an excellent thing for Korax to have said in the K7
bar. ``Here are puny Earthers``
This had led me to conclude that >tera'nganpu'< translates as Terrans,
and >tera'nganmey< translates as Earthers.
In the 2 Klingon classes that I have taught, I've found it most logical to
equate >+pu'< with the somewhat active English pluralizing suffix (n)+folk.
+folk is common enough in the South that this always has done the trick
by making this analogy.
tlhInganpu' is thus rendered Klingonfolk. Notice that in So. English
Georgiafolk sure do like them 'dawgs.
is but one of many possible examples. Earthfolk... Vulcanfolk... brotherfolk.
fatherfolk... (Well, OK, it's not that active-forming, but it *IS* pluralizing)
ghojmoHwI' DavID
Dave Sturm.