tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Dec 13 12:14:06 1995
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Re: Translation request (clich'e)
>Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 22:43:00 -0800
>From: [email protected]
>In a message dated 95-12-11 13:44:12 EST, you write:
>>> Any how would you translate "computer typesetting"?
>>
>>Context? "The computer prints these words" "mu'vetlh lughItlh De'wI'"
>>
>>~mark
>>
>>
>I am curious. Why did you prefix {ghItlh} with {lu-}? Even if {De'wI'} is
>considered inherently plural, the verb takes only the null prefix as if the
>subject were singular. Looking forward to hearing your reasoning.
Aha, so you noticed that! Indeed, if "De'wI'" is singular (it is), then
the only reason to use "lu-" is if "mu'vetlh" is plural. So, it is! That
was my way of saying "The computer prints those words." I indicated the
plurality of "mu'vetlh" by using the "lu-" prefix. The "-mey" on the noun
is optional in Klingon, particularly if the plurality is inferrable from
other things in the sentence (like the verb's prefix).
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooops.
After writing that great smarmy response, I realize I have my head totally
up my 'o'. I got the prefixes up-mixed. Owing to a sudden flux of cosmic
rays and warp particles and a bunch of other radiation the names of which
we hear only in one episode, my brain had "lu-" for "it/they" (and not
"they/it", which it is). Wups. Hagh qoHpu' neH HeghtaHvIS SuvwI'pu'.
Tho my sentence remains grammatical, just not what I meant: it now means
"The computers typeset this word." Again, "De'wI'" can be taken to be
plural based on the prefix.
~mark