tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Sep 05 22:37:13 1994
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: The Big Word List
On Sun, 4 Sep 1994, ...Paul wrote:
>
> >
> >So how many different combinations did you come up with? (I didn't feel
> >like counting them all. {{:-)> )
> >
> >> ...Paul
> >
> Well, let's see. There were 21 possible first consonants, 5 standard vowels,
> and 23 possible second consonants. So in that part there were 21x5x23=
> 2,415 words.
>
> In the second case, there were 21 possible first consonants, 7 abnormal
> vowels, and two possible ending markers (nothing or '), so that's an additional
> 21x7x2 = 294, or a grand total of 2,709 different words.
I will only say that the above analysis is not correct. I cannot say
more, because it is the subject of the HolQeD article which I have long
been working on. (That is to say, someday I shall finish it. :-)
Klingon contains NO such animal as an "abnormal vowel". There are merely
/a/, /e/, /I/, /o/ and /u/. Klingon does not have TRUE dipthongs. /w/
and /y/ maintain "consonanthood" when following the 5 vowels. Now, one
might argue that the special variety of /I/ which can only be *heard* as
the English /ee/ or Italian /i/ sound could be considered as an "abnormal
vowel" and thus account for a difference between >jIH< and >*jiH<, but it
is understood that the /I/-/*i/ distinction carries no information.
Additionally, there is no such thing as an "ending marker". /'/ is a
consonant as much as is /H/. Just because Okrand's transcription system
uses the apostrophe, doesn't make it a "marker." (As a matter of fact,
when doing word processing, if the larger apostrophe used when working
with Arabic transliterations is available, I use it. At one point years
ago, I was even using /9/ to emphasize the consonantal character of /'//)
Guess this should encourage me to finish the article soon.
<[email protected]> >tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a'?< "Pardon me, but if I must
David E G Sturm, Laboratory Manager operate in a vacuum, can
Wake Forest University Department of Physics I at least have a little
Box 7261 Reynolda Station, Winston-Salem NC 27109 ether to calm my nerves?"