tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 18 14:34:59 1997

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RE: KLBC: bomghom



On Wednesday, April 16, 1997 4:06 AM, [email protected] on behalf of Diego 
'Mago' De Miguel wrote:
> wa'Hu' *Manowar* ta Qav vIje'ta'
> (Yesterday I bought Manowar's last record)

If you use a time context, like {wa'Hu'}, then you don't want to use the 
aspect suffix {-ta'}.  Doing so means "Yesterday I had already bought . . ."

wa'Hu' *Manowar* ta Qav vIje'ta'.

Actually, I'm not happy with using {ta'} like this.  You want to say "record" 
as in "album," but I really doubt that Klingons have LPs, so I don't suppose 
this word refers to them.  Some will say, "Aha!  But a record is a recording!  
So it's a record the way you mean it, too!"  I don't particularly like this.  
It's a flimsy justification to get what you want.  If I slap someone they'll 
bruise, and that is a record of my hitting them.  I wouldn't use the word {ta} 
for it.

Still, we don't know the word for "album," and any other redition of it 
({QoQghom}?) is just as full of pitfalls.  So, I guess I can't say much more 
about it.

> bomghom vIparHa'qu'!
> (I really like that band!)

Cute word for "band."

> muQuchmoH bommeychaj
> (Their songs cause me to be in a good mood)

majQa'!  Excellently written!

> *Manowar* DaparHa''a'?
> (Do you like Manowar?)

jISovbe'.  vIQoypu'chugh vIghovpu'be'.

> cha'Hu' wa'Hu' je *Madrid*-Daq bompu' 'ach vIQoylaHbe'
> (The day before yesterday and yesterday they acted in Madrid, but I
> couldn't see them)

Again, don't use the aspect suffix when you state the time.  Otherwise, the 
aspect is applied to that time!

Oh, "see" is {legh}.  Do you mean {legh} or {Qoy}?

> paSlu'. Do'Ha'!
> (It was too late. Bad luck!)
> [I mean "the show was too late for me to attend it", but I'm VERY unsure
> about if <paSlu'> works here... I've also thought of <qaSpu'DI' paSpu'>,
> "when it occured it was too late", but I still have doubts...]

Well, what was late?  Since a person can be early or late, I suppose that 
means that the words {'eq} and {paS} refer to being ahead of or behind 
schedule.  I don't know if it can mean being at a late hour.

Why not tell us when the show was?

cha'maH cha' vatlh rep bomchoH vaj vIQoylaHbe'.  jIQongnIS.
They started singing at 10 pm., so I wasn't able to hear them.  I had to get 
to sleep.

> qayu':
> (I've got a question for you:)

This means you're only addressing one person, right?  If more than one, you 
need {Sayu'}.

> nuq DamaS:
> wa' thlIngan Hol mu'tlheg tlha' wa' DIvI' Hol mu'tlheg vIvIghItlh pagh
> Hoch tlhIngan Hol mu'tlhegmey tlha' Hoch DivI' Hol mu'tlhegmey
> vIvIghltlh?
> (Do you prefer me writing every English translation under each Klingon
> phrase or writing all Klingon together followed by all English
> translation?)
> (Lit: What do you prefer: one English sentence follows one Klingon
> sentence or all English sentences follow all Klingon sentences?)
> [Now that's probably the worst translation into Klingon I've ever done!
> Sorry, but I can't work out a better way to say it... if you can help me
> I'd be really thankful!]

Your idea was okay, but what happened to your spelling?  {mu'tlhegh} 
{vIghItlh}.

You're almost there; let me just rearrange it a bit:

nuq DamaS:  wa' tlhIngan Hol mu'tlhegh tlha' wa' DIvI' Hol mu'tlhegh pagh Hoch 
tlhIngan Hol mu'tlhegh tlha' Hoch DIvI' Hol mu'tlhegh?

This is a bit complex, of course.  I'd probably break it down into smaller, 
bite-sized pieces:

nuq DamaS?  wa' tlhIngan Hol mu'tlhegh tlha' wa' DIvI' Hol mu'tlhegh DaneH'a'? 
 Hoch tlhIngan Hol mu'tlhegh tlha' Hoch DIvI' Hol mu'tlhegh DaneH'a'?

> wa' thlIngan Hol mu'tlheg tlha' wa' DIvI' Hol mu'tlheg 'e' vImaSbej!
> (I certainly prefer one Klingon sentence followed by one English
> translation!)

Watch your spelling, but this is okay otherwise.

> boyajmoHchu' 'e' vIQub
> (I think it allows people to understand it clearly)
> (Lit: I think that it causes you to understand clearly)

Aha!  Now you're talking about the plural "you"!  Then you needed {Sayu'} 
earlier!

wa' tlhIngan Hol mu'tlhegh tlha' wa' DIvI' Hol mu'tlhegh 'e' vImaSbej jIH.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97294.8


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