tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Apr 15 11:43:36 1996
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Re: Interesting constuct...
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Interesting constuct...
- Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 14:42:33 -0400 (EDT)
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> from "david barron" at Apr 13, 96 05:23:10 pm
According to david barron:
>
> In THE KLINGON WAY There is an interesting
> construct (interesting to me at least)
>
> English: No enemy is boring.
>
> tlhIngan Hol: Dal pagh jagh.
>
> Comments?
He is simply using {pagh} as a number word for "zero". The
interesting part is the ambiguity, meaning either that there
are no enemies who are boring, or that the absence of enemies
is boring. The latter is not a very Western Civilization
oriented thought, but my understanding of some Middle-Eastern
cultures means that it is not an altogether non-human idea.
Whatever be the case on Earth, I see it as a very Klingon
sentiment.
I actually think the Klingon meaning is almost certainly closer
to "The absence of enemies is boring," since the thought most
Americans would get from "No enemy is boring," would be better
expressed as {not Dal jagh.}
> David Barron [email protected]
> Klingon Language Postal Course, PO Box 37, Eagle ID 83616
> It's FREE! Send Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.
> Not available by E-mail, so dont ask.
charghwI'
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