tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Dec 08 13:37:52 1996
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Re: Syllable Structure
jatlh mIqIraH:
> There was a debate about names a while ago, and I was thinking about word
> structure. Everybody knows that non-transliterated Klingon syllables are
> supposed to be in the form C-V-C, although there was recently a debate
> about the nature of the last C.
I thought that the rule was that a syllable has to be of the form CV*,
where the <*> is either nothing at all, or a single consonant, or <w'>, or
<y'>, or <rgh>. Then both of my Klingon names (<'o-lI-va'> and
<'o-lI-vargh>) follow the rules. There would then be only one exception in
canon, as far as I know: the suffix <-oy>.
> My question is, why are there at least
> 21 examples from TKD that don't observe this rule?
You forgot all of the verb prefixes!
> Some of these are
> probably borrowed words from other languages or other dialects, but
> surely not all of them! Here's my list from a *quick* scan that probably
> missed some: chuQun, DuSaQ, gho'Do, HaSta, Ha'DIbaH, He, jabbI'ID, je,
> jo, lolSeHcha, lulIgh, moHaq, mojaq, naDev, pIqaD, po, QonoS, SanId, ta,
> ya, 'a.
I've been wondering about <Ha'DIbaH>, as well as <yuch>... I've decided
that it's probably a borrowing from English! :-) It is very similar to the
word "animal", especially if pronounced by one of those Klingons who
pronounce <D> as <N> and <b> as <m>. It even has the stress on the right
syllable! I would have thought that if it was a native word, especially
since it would be quite common, it should only have one syllable.
Is it because some actor used the word "animal" in some "Star Trek" film,
and then someone decided that it should be in Klingon instead, so Marc
Okrand had to make up a word to fit the actor's lip movements? I just read
an explanation similar to this for some Klingon speaking to their
computer, and it seems to fit this too.
> What is the correct syllable structure? With that many
> exceptions, is it possible that the C-V-C rule is actually more of a
> guideline (heh. I just realized that was a joke from Ghostbusters...)?
nuqjatlh? bIyajbe'.
'olIva'
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