tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Dec 17 12:26:09 1997
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: How are these
- From: "Robyn Stewart" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: How are these
- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 12:25:35 PST
- Organization: NLK Consultants, Inc.
- Priority: normal
lawsonse26 writes:
> tlhingon ghIjpu' yIH
> The tribble scared the Klingon
Watch spelling: {tlhIngan}. The perfective is wrong here. The
English sentence is in simple past tense so the Klingon is simply
{tlhIngan ghIj yIH}. Yes, this also means "the tribble scares the
Klingon" or "the tribble will scare the Klingon." Deal.
> mu'tlheghmeyvam QIp DImuS
> We hate these stupid sentances
majQa'.
> jItuHmoHeghQo'
> I refuse to shame myself
The suffix for "oneself" is {'egh}. The {'} letter is missing in one
place in TKD, but we expect more from you than from Paramount's
publishers. The suffixes must always be written in the correct
order, even when rearranging them seems to approach your meaning more
clearly. {jItuH'eghmoHQo'}
> qej Qovmo, mu'mey Dal vImughlI'
> Because Qov is grouchy, I am translating boring words
The cause of you having to translate is the fact of the sentence "Qov
is grouchy." Because a sentence and not a noun is given as the
cause, use the verb suffix {-mo'}. Note that it is not {*-mo}. The
letter {'} is important. I was interested as I wrote this one which
aspect suffix you would choose to translate it. Either could be
correct. I'm glad you chose {-lI'}. It's a more positive comment
on the task. :)
qejmo' Qov, mu'mey Dal vImughlI'.
> bIHaghQo'
> Don't Laugh!
You need here an imperative verb prefix. You know your prefixes from
page 33 pretty well, it seems, but flip over the page for another
chart used for making direct requests and giving orders.
{yIHaghQo'} or {peHaghQo'} would be correct, depending on whether you
decide you are telling one person or a whole group not to laugh.
> chovnatlhvam vImuSchoH
> I am starting to hate these specimens
maj. This could read as "these specimens" or "this specimen." You
could make the plural explicit with the noun suffix {-mey} but it is
optional.
> Dapvam pparHa'bej be'vetlh
> That woman definetely likes this nonsense
I'll assume the double {p} was a keyboard slip. maj.
> laHwIj vIDubta'DI' paq'a' tIn vImugh
> When I have improved my ability, I am going to translate a really
> big book
majQa'.
> batlhwIj vItob, QI'yaH
> I will prove my honor, damnit!
I was thinking of {jay'}, but I can't object to {QI'yaH} as I didn't
make the curse grammatically part of the sentence.
> bIDoghQo'. meqlIj vIyaj.
> Don't be foolish. I understand your reason
Again you need the imperative. {yIDoghQo'}. Glad you got the right
suffix for "don't" though.
> nInvatlh vItlhutlh 'e' vIneHpu'Qo'
> I never wanted to drink that fuel
This is a good try at sentence-as-object but {neH} is the one
exception to the SAO rule and doesn't need that construction.
You added in an unnecessary perfective (especially as aspect suffixes
are disallowed on verbs after {'e'}) and here {-Qo'} isn't the right
suffix. Although you would certainly refuse to drink the fuel if it
were offered again, the verb itself isn't refusal, just a statement
that you did not want to do it. The word never is {not}. And a
misspelling: {-vetlh}. All together:
not nInvetlh vItlhutlh vIneH
"I never wanted to drink that fuel."
Again, yes, this could mean "I never will want to drink that fuel"
and "I never want to drink that fuel." Klingon does not distinguish
between the three. Don't try to. Any sentence you write without a
time marker SHOULD be interpretable in the three diffent tenses,
unless context renders one or more interpretation ridiculous.
> SuQ woj
> The radiation is toxic
maj.
> 'Iw vItlhutlhtaH Dapvam vImughtI'vIS
> While I translate this nonsense I am drinking blood
Almost. You knew that the suffix {-vIS} must be used with another
suffix, but you mis-wrote that suffix.
{'Iw vItlhutlhtaH Dapvam vImughtaHvIS}
I would have put the subordinate clause before the main one in this
sentence, but you are not required to.
> 'ejDo' lusopta' Ha'DIbaHHom
> (Figure it out and tell me if'n I'm right.)
Other than the mis-shifted {S}, this says "The creatures have
eaten/will have eaten/had eaten the starship." I suspect the little
animals are some sort of ferrophagic tribble. :)
Very good work. You knew more than I expected. From this I suggest
you:
1. write a few imperative sentences, to practice the prefixes you
didn't know
2. read about the type-9 verb suffixes and try using more
of them
3. write a few more negative sentences: "I don't want a
tribble" "you shouldn't eat rocks" "I can't understand you at all"
"I can't understand you perfectly" "I won't be on Qo'noS in one year"
"I won't kill children" "you don't have a space station" "don't land
on that planet" and "I am not ready to collapse" so I can make sure
you have {-be'} and {-Qo'} straight.