tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Dec 07 09:20:58 1997

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Re: KLBC mu'tay' qeq



ghItlh Qov
> At 11:21 97-12-03 -0800, Doneq wrote:
> } A Federation Battle Cruiser and a Bird of Prey chase a Romulan 
> } Warbird.
> } (is it ok to say {toQDuj} for Warbird as well?)
> 
> It would be like saying "the Yugoslavian Lada" for the Yugo or "an 
> American MiG" for the F-18.  Is that close enough for your purposes?

Actually no, but I thought {toQDuj} was quite a good word for it - 
It's got the bird-part too, you know :)

maybe {veStoQDuj} is better; it has the war-part too, and you can 
distinguish it from a Klingon {toQDuj} better.

> } SutlhmeH Quv lI'ta' romuluSnganpu'.
> } The Romulans transmitted coordinates in order to negotiate.
> 
> It *is* confusing if you switch back and forth between no aspect and 
> perfective.  Either put everything that happened before the chase in 
> perfective, OR use perfective on the first verb, establishing a new 
> time of reference, and then don't use aspect on the events that 
> occured during that time of reference. 

Well, that's my fault, I guess. I always forget those small things 
(not only in Klingon!)  :)

I think I know how to use aspect, I understand it well (I think :),  
I only sometimes forget to place those suffixes...

> } Dujmey Qaw'lu' 'ej jor.
> 
> {luQaw'lu'}.  Plural object of Qaw' with the {-lu'} suffix requires a 
> {lu-} prefix, too.
See? Forgot {lu-} again :)

> } romuluS rI' 'e' nID, 'ach jangbe' romuluS petaQpu'. 
> } They attempted to hail them, but the Romulan bastards didn't 
> } answer.
> 
> {lurI' 'e' lunID} And consider {jangQo'} to indicate Romulan defiance 
> in not answering, as opposed to simple not answering.
Hmm... that's a good idea. {-Qo'} vIlIjQo' ('e' vInID... :)

> Ask if you have any questions about what I've said on the perfective. 
> It isn't cut and dried, and we have no examples of Klingon narrative 
> in canon to know when aspect shifts are appropriate.  I'm just hoping 
> it works like French and English.

It would be a nice idea, indeed, to have a few canon stories. Stories 
are an important part of culture, and of Klingon culture too, I 
think.

/Doneq
______
rut yIHmey ghom Hoch


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