tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Nov 14 17:48:26 1996

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RE: <K'>vaD ghItlhlu''a'?


> At 03:44 PM 11/14/96 -0800, Adrian (HurghwI') wrote:
> >If we're using tlhIngan Hol naming conventions, why don't you change 
your=
>  name?
>
> Ack.
>
> As was stated in this mailing list before (by whom, I don't know): Names
> (assumingly names given to people who speak tlhIngan Hol) don't have to 
make
> any sense whatsoever.

It also says as much in the FAQ.

> "mayq" is using the LEGAL letters in the transliterated alphabet (Roman
> without the accents and whatnot) -- it's like the name "Ashna" (in this
> case, the name of an English speaker): it uses the allowable letters of 
the
> English alphabet, doesn't make any sense in English, and none of the
> syllables in that name are used in English words. i.e. There is no word 
with
> the consonant cluster "shn" in English as far as I know. Stuff like that.

That's not quite the point.  The consonant cluster /shn/ does occur in 
English (e.g., "fishnet").  So, "Ashna" doesn't violate any of the rules of 
phonology in English.  /mayq/, as a collection of letters, is not 
consistent with what we know about Klingon phonology (whether you term it a 
consonant cluster or a dipthong is irrelevant, as ~mark pointed out).

And for what it's worth, we can cite Klingon words that have /yq/ next to 
each other.  But not part of the same syllable; if you use # to identify 
syllable boundaries (as linguists do), then you would see #fish#net#, and 
in Klingon, /#tay#qoq#/.  But I wouldn't draw any conclusions about the 
co-occurrence of /yq/ because of /tayqoq/.  Because it's not /tayq#oq/, 
it's /tay#qoq/.

What I mean to say is, it's not just what letters you use, but how you use 
them.

But the bottom line is, it's a name.  We fussed and fidgeted about /r'Hul/ 
for a while.  In the end, she decided she liked her name, and it's her 
name.  Have you met r'Hul?  I wouldn't try arguing with her!  A name is a 
name.

> -mayq

--Holtej
Stardate 96873.58

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