tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Sep 15 22:40:57 1995
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Re: }} 'Smoking', in defense of my sig, and {QaQ}
- From: "R.B Franklin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: }} 'Smoking', in defense of my sig, and {QaQ}
- Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 19:40:57 -0700 (PDT)
On Sat, 16 Sep 1995, Matt 'I am man, hear me watch Seinfeld' Treyvaud wrote:
> Now something different: how to convey the idea of 'smoking' (a
> cigarette) in Klingon. OK, the question is probably academic (Klingons
> don't have cigarettes, right?) but I need to know. What I have is:
>
> {tlhIch vItlhuHtaH} = I am breathing smoke.
>
> Which I don't like because it assumes {tlhuH} can take an object. I was
> thinking that something like this might work:
I don't see anything wrong with using an object with {tlhuH}. The word
"breathe" in English is transitive and I suspect {tlhuH} is too.
> {tlhIchDaq jItlhuHtaH} = I am breathing, in/at the smoke.
I like this less. It sounds like you are standing in a cloud of smoke.
> Oh yeah, before I forget, re: the verb {QaQ} - does 'good' in this sense
> mean 'not naughty' or 'skilled/proficient/etc.'?
I doubt that {QaQ} has as many meanings as the word "good" does in English.
The canon examples I can think of off the top of my head would seem to
indicate {QaQ} means something like "having suitable or favorable quality".
nuqDaq 'oH Qe' QaQ'e'? (Where is a good restaurant?)
bortaS bIr jablu'DI' reH QaQqu' nay'. ("Revenge is a dish which is best
served cold." Literally: When cold revenge is served, the dish is always
very good.)
For the sake of clarity I would use other words to convey some of the
other meanings of "good":
For "good" meaning the opposite of evil or wicked, I would use {mIghbe'} or
{mIghHa'}.
For "good" in the sense "obedient, well-behaved" (He was a good boy in
school today), I would make a sentence using {lob} (to obey). E.g. {DaHjaj
DuSaQDaq ghojmoHwI' lob.} (Today in school, he obeyed the teacher.)
For "good" as in "skilled/proficient" I would use {po'} (to be skilled,
expert). Qel po' ghaH. (She is a good doctor.)
> Now that I think of it, this sort of 'meaning' or 'verb transitivity'
> question must get asked a lot... is there an FAQ or something for the
> unclear parts of the dictionary?
Unfortunately, because the words in TKD are not precisely defined, this has
been an ongoing problem and the subject of much debate.
yoDtargh