tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Mar 21 04:30:08 1995
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Analysis of {mo'taq lut}
- From: "A.Appleyard" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Analysis of {mo'taq lut}
- Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 12:04:02 GMT
- Priority: normal
ghItlhpu' Jeremy Cowan <[email protected]> (Subject: mo'taq lut):-
> On January 30, I wrote the following story to chastise those who try to
> write Klingon above their level, and to encourage those who are taking it
> slow and easy. Guido challenged me to put it in tlhIngan. My med school
> studies have made the translation go slow, but here it is. If anyone has
> grammatical questions or suggestions, I welcome them.
* mo'taq lut
@ [Motak's story]
* SuvwI'Hom ghaH neH mo'taq
@ Motak was merely a small warrior
* qeq qeylIS 'e' tlhob mo'taq
---- qeq ---- - V:[practise|train|prepare] - N:drill_mil
---- qeylIS ---- - M:Kahless
---- 'e' ---- - P:that_abovementioned
---- tlhob ---- - V:[request*|ask|plead*]
---- mo'taq ----
@ Motak asked that Kahless [should] train
=== I suspect that {qeq} is intransitive only, and thus this sentence is like
me telling Cousteau to go learn how to scuba dive; likely {qeq} here should be
{qeqmoH} = "cause (Motak) to practise, train (Motak)" (trans.).
* batlh mo'taq ghojmoH 'e' nID qeylIS
---- batlh ---- - N:honor - A:with_honor
@ Kahless attempted that he teach Motak (about) honor
@ Kahless attempted that he teach Motak honorably
=== Here and below the two meanings of {batlh} cause ambiguity.
For "with honor" I am tempted to suggest {batlhtlhej} = "honor-accompany".
=== Here and elsewhere, 'e' used after a clause to convert that clause into
a noun.
* batlh HaD 'e' neHbe' mo'taq
@ Motak not want that he study (about) honor
@ Motak not want that he study honorably
==== Same 2 notes as previous line
* may' ghoj 'e' neH
He merely wanted that he learn battle
* jatlh qeylIS
Kahless said
* ghojtaHghach taghmeH ghojtaHghach taghbogh De''e' lo' vaj 'e' 'ut
---- ghojtaHghach ---- - V:learn VS7:continuous VS9:-ation*
---- taghmeH ---- - V:[begin_a_process|initiate]* VS9:for_purpose
---- ghojtaHghach ---- - V:learn VS7:continuous VS9:-ation*
---- taghbogh ---- - V:[begin_a_process|initiate]* VS9:which_rel
---- De''e' ---- - N:information NS5:topic
---- lo' ---- - V:use - N:use*
---- vaj ---- - N:warrior* - A:[so|then|thus|in_that_case]
---- 'e' ---- - P:that_abovementioned
---- 'ut ---- - V:be_necessary
@ It is necessary that warrior uses information which begins continuous
learning for the purpose of beginning continuous learning
* latlh jeychugh SuvwI' 'ach batlh ghajbe' vaj yay tu'be'lu'
---- batlh ---- - N:honor - A:with_honor
---- vaj ---- - N:warrior* - A:[so|then|thus|in_that_case]
@ If warrior defeat another but not have (with) honor,
@ one not find warrior's victory / then one not find victory
=== Homophone ambiguity between the 2 meanings of {vaj}.
* may' lujtaH
---- may' ---- - N:battle
---- lujtaH ---- - V:fail VS7:continuous
@ He fails continuously (in) battle
* De' nap HaDQo' mo'taq
@ Motak refuses to study simple information
* to' 'Itlh ghojmoH 'e' qeylIS tlhobqu'
He strongly asked Kahless that he teach (Motak) advanced tactics
* qeylISvaD De' qem vay'
---- qeylISvaD ---- - M:Kahless NS5:[for|indir_obj]
---- De' ---- - N:information
---- qem ----
# <qem>
---- vay' ---- - N:[some|any]_[body|thing]
@ Anybody/Anything {qem}'s Kahless's information.
=== What does {qem} mean and where was it published?
* Da'qeS vengDaq rewbe' HoH Ha'DIbaH qu'
---- Da'qeS ---- - N:corporal_rank V:advise / N:corporal_rank N:advice
@ At Da'qeS('s) city a fierce animal killed a citizen
* vajDaj pong qeylIS
@ Kahless called his warrior
=== Is {pong} correct for "summon" rather than "give a name to"?
* 'ach mejpu' mo'taq
@ But Motak had departed
* Ha'DIbaH HoHlaH 'e' Har mo'taq
@ Motak believe that he could kill the animal
* 'ach 'etlh lo'laHbe'chu' mo'taq 'ej 'e' leghlaH Ha'DIbaH
---- 'ach ---- - C:[but|nevertheless|even_so|however]
---- 'etlh ---- - N:sword
---- lo'laHbe'chu' ---- - V:be_worthless VS6:[clearly|perfectly]
@ But Motak was clearly worthless (with his?) sword and animal could see that
* nom chay' HoHlu' 'ang Ha'DIbaH
---- nom ---- - A:fast
---- chay' ---- - Q:how?
---- HoHlu' ---- - V:kill VS5:indef_subject
---- 'ang ---- - V:[show|reveal]
---- Ha'DIbaH ---- - N:[meat*|animal]+
@ The animal showed how fast one kills
=== Indirect question construction
* Ha'DIbaH HoH qeylIS
@ Kahless kills the animal
* mo'taq lom retlhDaq Qam
@ He stands beside Motak's corpse
* jatlh qeylIS
@ Kahless says
* nI' mo'taq qeqtaHghach
@ Motak's continuous training was long
* Ha'DIbaH tIq tu'laH mo'taq 'e' qItpu'
---- tIq ---- - V:be_long_of_object - N:heart
@ It was possible that Motak could find animal's heart
@ It was possible that Motak could find the long animal
=== Homophone ambiguity again
* 'ach ghojQo'
@ But don't learn!
=== I suspect that {Qo'} is imperative unless there is an explicit subject:
{'ach ghojQo' ghaH} = "But he refused to learn" (intended meaning).
* maghojmeH Hegh mo'taq
@ Motak died for the purpose that we learn
* yay batlh joq ghajbe qeqchu'bogh qoH
@ A fool who trains perfectly has not victory and/or honor