tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jun 06 14:30:08 1997
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RE: KLBC: If you are scared...
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: If you are scared...
- Date: Fri, 6 Jun 97 20:40:23 UT
[email protected] on behalf of Darren Cubitt wrote:
> It is MEANT to be something like "If you are scared, close your eyes".
>
> bIghIjchugh yISoQmoH mInDu'lIj
>
> OR
>
> yISoQmoH mInDu'lIj bIghIjchugh
Let's work on this a piece at a time. First, "if you are scared." Now,
{ghIj} means "scare," not "be scared." Therefore, if you write {bIghIjchugh},
you are saying "if you scare (something)."
There are two ways to deal with this. The first is the verb {Haj}. It means
"dread." {bIHajchugh} "if you dread (something)."
Looking at your meaning, though, I'm not sure if "dread" is really the concept
we're going for. Dread is a feeling of "Oh, no, I can't believe this is going
to happen," while you're looking for the "LOOK OUT!" kind of scared, I think.
The second way of saying this is to say that "something scares you." Because
we don't know or don't care exactly what is scaring you, the subject is said
to be indefinite. This is shown in Klingon with the Type 5 verb suffix {-lu'}
(it's got funky prefixes; see TKD 4.2.5).
DaghIjlu'chugh
if something scares you
if you are scared
Next, you need "close your eyes." You were really close in your attempt
{yISoQmoH mInDu'lIj}. The main problem is the order. Remember, Klingon
sentence order is Obj-Verb-Subj. In "close your eyes," a command, the subject
is "you," and the object is "your eyes." This must be {mInDu'lIj tISoQmoH}.
Notice the prefix here: {tI-}. Because {mInDu'lIj} is the object, and is
plural, you need to use this suffix. See TKD 4.1.2 to check this prefix.
The final sentence:
DaghIjlu'chugh mInDu'lIj tISoQmoH
--or--
mInDu'lIj tISoQmoH DaghIjlu'chugh
> am aware I could have dropped the "yI" in clipped Klingon but I want to
stick to
> proper until I get the hang of things.
That's a good idea. Generally, on the list, you should be using non Clipped
Klingon, unless you are absolutely sure that everyone will understand that
you're using it.
In real life situations, I find Clipped Klingon much more easily understood.
> yISoQmoH = you close
Actually, it's "you close it." And {tISoQmoH} is "you close them."
> Also, while reading the FAQ I came across a sentence (and congrats to Alan
> Anderson for a great article on tense/aspect) which I tried to translate to
> English:
> <<wa'SaD wa'ben Suvchuq cha' qorDu'>>
>
> Is this "One thousand and one years ago, two farm scavengers fight"?
Look in TKD again. Immediately below {qor} "scavenge" you'll find {qorDu'}
"family."
"1001 years ago, two families fought each other."
> And to finish off, I tried (unsuccessfuly, I might add) to translate:
> << reH tlhInganpu' taHjaj, reH tlhIngan wo' taHja>>
>
> Ok... All I could get was the jist of things:
> Always Klingon Phaser everyday
> Always Klingon Empire everyday
These are both special proverbial sayings, with special grammar. However, I
can help you with the specific words.
{tlhInganpu'} is just {tlhIngan} plus the plural marker {-pu'} (see TKD
3.3.2). It is not the noun {pu'} "phaser."
{taHjaj} is the verb {taH} "endure, go on" (found in the Addendum of TKD),
plus the verb suffix {-jaj} (also found in the Addendum, 4.2.9).
These phrases mean, respectively,
Klingons forever! (May Kingons endure forever!)
May the Klingon Empire continue forever!
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97431.5