tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jul 09 05:02:11 1997

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Re: KLBC: My First Sentences



[email protected] on behalf of Duncan Barrett wrote:

> *Mars* leng *Sojourner*.

Since it's currently in the process of it, and hasn't simply done it and 
that's it, you want to add the Type 7 verb suffix {-taH} "continuous" onto 
this.

Also, in Klingon you don't "travel something," you just "travel."  To indicate 
where you're traveling, you use the Type 5 noun suffix {-Daq} "locative."

*Mars*Daq lengtaH *Sojourner*.

> De' ngeH *Sojourner*.

maj.  But again, you're not talking about only one bit of information being 
sent, you're talking about the continuous sending of information.

De' ngeHtaH *Sojourner*.

> De' Hev tera'.

maj.

De' HevtaH tera'.

> De' lulegh tera'nganpu'.

maj.  In this case, you might want to be more specific.

De' luHaDtaH tera'nganpu'
The Terrans are studying the data.

De' lunuDtaH tera'nganpu'
The Terrans are examining the data.

These sentences make me wonder if you're giving me a step-by-step process, 
rather than a description of what's happening now.  If so, you could forget 
about the {-taH} on all but the first one (this one is still important).

> Sojourner is roaming Mars.  Sojourner sends data.  Earth recieves the data.
>  Terrans look at the data.
> 
> 
> *Mars*Daq chaHbe' tlhinganpu'
> 
> There are no klingons on Mars.

maj.

> I was going to say something about Sojourner sending pictures but couldn't
> find a word for picture or image

We may get something about this in Okrand's next book!  Lawrence tells us that 
it's got information on creative arts!

> (is there a way of using wI' passivly so
> as to have "a thing which is seen" etc?)

Oh dear.  This has been argued before, but it really doesn't work.  English 
has a passive voice, Klingon does not.  You could say "thing which is 
<something>," as long as <something> is a Klingon verb.  But trying to use the 
Type 5 verb suffix {-lu'} "indefinite subject" and the Type 9 suffix {-wI'} 
just doesn't seem to work.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97519.8


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