tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu May 23 18:16:55 1996

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Re: KLBC: warrior

ghItlh beHwI"av:
>tlhIngan SuvwI' jIH
>I'm a Klingon Warrior

maj.

>'etlhwI' vIlo'meH jachHommeywIj vIHoH
>I use my sword to cause the killing of my puny enemies (who have no
>language)(or is this "I use my sword, it causes the killing of my puny
>enemies (who are languageless)")

"I kill my (dumb) minor enemies in order to use my (speaking) sword."
You're using {-meH} on the wrong verb.  {vIlo'meH} is translated as
"In order for me to use it."  I also don't see anything here to give
the idea of "cause the killing" -- {vIHoH} is "I kill them."

The intentional misuse of possessive suffixes doesn't strike me as a
very effective way to insult someone.  I just see it as a bad use of
the language; it takes attention away from the meaning of the words.

>ghorgh pongwI' jIjatlh
>SaghomHa'
>when I speak my name
>you (pl) scatter

"When do I speak my (speaking) name?  I scatter you."
You didn't want to ask a question, but that's what {ghorgh} does.  You
need to use the verb suffix {-DI'} here instead (see TKD 4.2.9).  Your
verb prefix should be {vI-}, since {jatlh} has a subject.  This should
be {pongwIj vIjatlhDI'...}.  I think you might also have used the wrong
prefix on the other verb -- "You scatter" would be {SughomHa'}.  I like
this better than what you actually wrote, but I suppose I'm not really
sure whether {ghom} is transitive or not.

>woQ'a'na'vetlh vIghajmeH raghIlj (I'm not sure about this one)
>I have huge power that causes you (languageless one) to decay (as causes you
>to rot, only this sounded more powerfull)(I know the suffix {-Ilj} means
>your, but in the translation I put "you (languageless one) to decay".
>because I thought it to be nastier)

"Your [decay?] in order that I have that definite great authority."
"[You?] decay in order that I have that definite great authority."
The suffix is spelled {-lIj}.  Klingon syllables always start with one
consonant followed by a single vowel.  ({-oy} is the single exception.}
However, {ragh} is a verb, and you can't put a noun suffix on it.

If you're trying to use {ragh} as a noun, your sentence has no main verb.
If you're trying to use it as a verb, you should use the prefix {bI-}.

I don't think you want to talk about "political power" -- "power, strength"
is {HoS}.

{-vetlh} looks superfluous.  You hadn't mentioned a power before.

{-meH} is not the right tool here.  If you want to say "it causes you
to decay", you should use {-moH}: {DuraghmoH}.

{DuraghmoHbogh HoS'a'na' vIghaj}.

Note: If you find yourself using {ghaj} and then further describing the
thing which you have, you might consider rephrasing it to eliminate the
extra verb.  "I have a definite great power which causes you to decay"
can often be changed to "my definite great power causes you to decay."

{DuraghmoH HoS'a'na'wIj}.

>Is it O.K., I know that some of the words may be wrong and I'm uncertain
>about putting sentances 3 & 4 together. And after that disscusion on {pong}
>please just tell me wether it it correct or not, I realy don't want to start
>another disscusion.

The use of {pong} as a noun, as you used it, is not in question.

>Please look favorably on my first "serious" attempt. (c;{{{

Good attempt.  Thank you very much for including a translation I could refer
to when deciding how to correct your errors!

-- ghunchu'wI'               batlh Suvchugh vaj batlh SovchoH vaj

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