tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Dec 16 00:28:26 1997

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Re: KLBC: Short and Easy



All the responses to both challenges are terrific! I was laughing at the
clever answers. I should remember to challenge you more often. Don't be
alarmed if your one line post turns into a full page answer from me.  I'm
presuming you're here and posting to learn and will try to explain
everything I think you should change, not just rearrange your sentence and
throw it back.

At 06:35 97-12-15 -0800, edy wrote:
}>By request, here is a KLBC challenge for those who find that translating
}>takes so long that it is exhausting to read most postings.  The challenge is
}>simple:
}
}>chay' yuQvam wIchargh?
}
}wa'DIch yuQvetlhDaq nejwI' wIngeH muD QulmeH vaj wa'DIch mID wIchenmoH
}"First, we send a probe to that planet in order to research it then we
build }the first colony"

Unless this is something else I'm missing from KGT, we can't use the ordinal
numbers as adverbials.  As far as I know, {wa'DIch} means first as in {nagh
wa'DIch} ("first rock") but not as in "first we must ..."

Note the beginning of 6.2.4: a {-meH} clause always precedes the noun or
verb whose purpose it is describing.  Also, what is the subject of the verb
{Qul}?  In Klingon every verb has a prefix (even if only the null prefix) to
indicate its subject and object. {muD QulmeH} means "for it/him/her to
research the atmosphere."  Acceptable, but did you mean to say that "it," or
"we" would be the researchers?

Look at section 5.2 where it mentions numbers. The second use of {wa'DIch}
in this sentence is the way it is supposed to be used, but not quite in the
right place. The ordinal number goes after the noun in Klingon.  {mID wa'DIch}.

{vaj} means "then" in the sense of "if .. then" not "next in time."  I will
suggest a way to solve both 'time' problems ("first" and "then") in a moment.

The verb {chenmoH} is fine for "build," but did you notice {cher}?

Now you have:
{muD wIQulmeH yuQvetlhDaq nejwI' wIngeH} and {mID wa'DIch wIcher}.

I suggest joining them like this:

And I leave this sentence for one-line follow-ups.  Delete all my commentary
or the post will become too long.

"We will send a probe to that planet in order to study the atmosphere before
we establish the first colony."

muD wIQulmeH yuQvetlhDaq nejwI' wIngeH mID wa'DIch wIcherpa'.

Qov     [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian                 



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