tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 14 18:59:01 1997
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RE: KLBC Good
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC Good
- Date: Tue, 14 Jan 97 23:54:38 UT
January 13, 1997 11:28 PM EST, qeyloS:
> That helps for those specific phrases.
> But I'm really looking for advise on how to use "good".
The point is, it entirely depends on what you're trying to say. English goes
crazy with the word "good"; it covers lots of meanings. Not so in Klingon.
{QaQ} is describing a quality for something. It's the opposite of {qab}. I
can't really tell you more than that without knowing what you want to say.
> Was your vacation good.
If there were a noun for vacation, you might be able to ask it this way. But
there isn't. Don't think in terms of nouns so much. Use verbs. {bIghIQ 'e'
DatIv'a'} "Did you enjoy vacationing?" Notice that there's not a single
explicit noun in that sentence!
> Is this writing good.
If by "writing" you mean "manuscript," then you might be able to use {QaQ}
here. {QaQ'a' ghItlhvam?} But that's so generic, it doesn't mean much. You
might ask {jIghItlhchu'} "Did I write correctly?"
> Is your computer good.
Good computer! Nice computer! Computer want a memory sim?
Be more descriptive! Sure, I could say {QaQ'a' De'wI'lIj?}, but what does
that really MEAN? Good how? {HoSghaj'a' De'wI'lIj?} "Is your computer
powerful?" {nom SIm'a' De'wI'lIj?} "Is your computer fast?" (Literally,
"Does your computer calculate quickly?") {wagh'a' De'wI'lIj?} "Is your
computer expensive?"
> Not necessarily dod you enjoy it.
Exactly! It's not always {tIv} that you'll need. I can't tell you which verb
to always use, because there isn't one! DON'T TRY TO TRANSLATE WORD-FOR-WORD
FROM ENGLISH TO KLINGON!!! yaj'a'?
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97040.4