tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 13 14:59:44 1997

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RE: KLBC: Happy New Year!



January 13, 1997 3:29 AM EST, jatlh Mago:

> jIcheghqa'
> (I'm back again!
> Is the use of {-qa'} right here? To be honest I find it a bit strange in 
Klingon... I bet it's one of those too English translations...)

Well, it's questionable.  A while ago I brought up a question: should {-qa'} 
be used only to mean "resume," as in start a process again, or can it mean 
"again" as in doing something a second time.  I myself have found examples 
which suggests that the second meaning can be used.  However, I prefer to only 
use it as a last resort.

In any case, you don't *need* {-qa'}.  If you want to tell us that you're 
back, you can say {jIcheghpu'} "I have returned."

As a note, one might incorporate {-qa'} into this idea by saying {naDev 
jIHqa'} "I resume being here."  But that's a little heavy on the pronoun use.

> tuHarQo' 'ach vIlaDbe'bogh DaHjaj javvatlhHey *emails* vIghaj
> (You won't believe me, but today I had about 600 unread emails!)

Your time element, {DaHjaj}, has to come before the rest of the relative 
clause.  You have spliced the main clause by sticking it between 
{vIlaDbe'bogh} and the number.  Put it at the beginning.

Also, you probably cannot use {-Hey} on a number to indicate that it's an 
approximation (although that's a neat idea).  "While Klignons may be 
inaccurate, they are never approximate."  Figure out the correct number, as 
best you can.

The best word for "e-mail" is {jabbI'ID} "data transmission."

Finally, the e-mails are the *object* of the relative clause, {vIlaDbe'bogh}.  
They must come before it.

DaHjaj javvatlh jabbI'ID vIlaDbe'bogh vIghaj.

> chimmeH *mailbox*-wIj poH'a' jIvumta'
> (I've worked for a long time to get my mailbox empty)

When you're talking about a period of time in which something happened, you 
cannot just put the name of the period of time at the beginning of the 
sentence.  This only works for stating the time at which an event happens, not 
*during* which it happens.  For this, the best word (barring other activities 
to describe) is {qaS}.

And may I suggest a word for "mailbox" in this context: {jabbI'ID ngaSwI'}.

chImmeH jabbI'ID ngaSwI'wIj, jIvumta' qaStaHvIS poH'a' .

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97037.5


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