tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jan 08 19:15:47 1997
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RE: KLBC:Hello
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC:Hello
- Date: Thu, 9 Jan 97 01:45:15 UT
January 08, 1997 6:08 PM EST, jatlh noSaj:
> Oops. I meant to say: jaj QaQ
> "Good day", or "Hello"
Klingon has limited ways to greet someone. "Good day" is not one of them.
{nuqneH}, which means "what do you want?" is said to be the only greeting in
Klingon. Actually, an Okrand forum word suggests that another greeting may be
{Qapla'}, although until now we always thought was only used as a sendoff (and
that may still be its primary usage).
If you said {jaj QaQ} to a Klingon, he'd probably think, "What about the good
day?" It's not a complete sentence. But even if you DID say {QaQ jaj} "the
day is good," he'd probably reply {jISaHbe'} "I don't care!" When speaking
Klingon, get right to the point!
>
> >> noSaj, QojwI' puqloD jIH.
> >
> >What's {noSaj}? It doesn't seem to be a word.
>
> It's supposed to be my name (noSaj is Jason spelled backwards).
Cool! If you're going to be introducing a name, you'd better mark it with
something, either quotes or stars or brackets or something. You see what
problems not doing so will cause: someone may not recognize it as a name!
> I was hoping this would translate:
> "I am noSaj, son of QojwI'"
It does. Now that I see that it's a name, yes, it's quite right.
> Question: in Klingon, do appositives come directly after the noun they refer
> to, or do they go before?
Hmmm . . . this is a technical question, isn't it? <scratches head>
You've got apposition right in your sentence, I believe. I don't quite
remember the Okrand sources we have concerning it, but I believe it mentioned
{*wo'rIv* *mogh* puqloD}.
> QaHlI'vaD qatlho'
> (or should it be " QaHlI'mo' qatlho' "?)
"I thank you for the benefit of your help (which is capable of using
language)."
Two things. First, since "help" is not a being capable of using language, you
need to use the {-lIj} suffix, not {-lI'}.
Second, you shouldn't use {-vaD} here. The noun modified by {-vaD} becomes
the beneficiary of whatever the action is. "Your help" is not benefitting
from the action "I thank you," so you cannot use {-vaD}. This is one of those
cases where the English has to be reworded before it can be changed into
Klingon.
QaHlIjmo' qatlho'
I thank you because of your help.
You had this (except for {-lIj}) above.
A more elegant (and definitely more Klingon) approach would be to use the verb
meaning of {QaH} instead of the noun:
choQaHpu'mo' qatlho'.
I thank you because you have helped me.
Try to use verbs as often as you can! They work much better in Klingon than
nouns do for constructing sentences!
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97024.2