tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 18 11:17:12 1997

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Re: Klingon Dictionary File

According to TPO:
> 
> >All you need are the following headers (or whatever headers YOU like) in
> >whichever order you like:
> >
> >Klingon     English   Part of speech     Source
> >-----------------------------------------------------------------
> >tlhIngan      Klingon          (n)                TKD p.111
> >
> 
> When I entered the dictonary into my computer, I also included a column for
> other words that have the same translation.

While we are into this, I might as well explain my own
dictionaries. I've pretty much abandoned my Word file as too
much work to maintain. I have the dictionary in my Pilot which
gets all new updates betcause the process of synchronizing it
with my home and work PCs makes that the most accessible
dictionary. I don't have to be at any given computer to add a
word to it.  It has just the Klingon words listed (since
searches will find the English words in the definitions).

I list the Klingon word, its definition, its part of speech and
its source (if not TKD) so I can always go back and check the
validity of the word (so we don't have another episode of the
precanonized {'I'}). I don't put much in the way of extraneous
things in this list because that creates false finds during a
character search. I do include transitive and/or intransitive
notations for all verbs which have been used in canon
displaying which way Okrand has used them, and source notations
for this useage.

My Access database includes the Klingon word using Lawrence's
pIqaD font, another field has the same word using a romanized
font, and a third field is a sort key. In order to force the
words to be sorted properly, I list the alphabet in that field
as:

a=a, b=b, ch=c, D=d, e=e, gh=g, H=h, I=i, j=j, l=l, m=m, n=n1,
ng=n2, o=o, p=p, q=q1, Q=q2, r=r, S=s, t=t1, tlh=t2, u=u, v=v,
w=w, y=y, '=z.

In this way, for example, I'd list {Qu'vatlh} as "q2uzvat2". By
including such a field, I can make Access sort Klingon words in
their proper order.

I have a source field so I can pull up all words from a given
source to check them against that source, if I like. In the
"comments" field, I notate where in the source the item can be
found. The comment field also gets any quotations from canon
using that word (though I use that for verbs mostly, since most
nouns and chuvmey do not tend to reveal themselves more clearly
from canon useage).

Mostly, I use this to note what kind of object each verb tends
to take (if any at all). This is the one thing which a
definition tends to leave most vague, yet to use a verb well,
it is important to know what kind of object it can take.

I intended to make a related table of canon linking to each
word entry, but that part basically didn't receive the
discipline it deserved. Perhaps in the future. For now, canon
entries are just placed in the comment field, which works well
for most of the functionality I was seeking. I'm still weeding
out all that useless MSN crap which was apparently written
without Okrand's knowledge.

I'm also updating my dictionary for pojwI', since, like every
other dictionary I've found, it has some omissions and
inaccuracies, though certainly not more than any of my OTHER
dictionaries. It is only through combing all of them that I
find the holes in each of them. After I reconcile all of them,
then I intend to head back into canon to make sure I have
everything. I'm certain I don't have all the audio tape canon
noted yet. Likely the new book will distract me before THAT
mission is accomplished.

I try to remember to put square brackets around all extraTKD
references so that when I sweep through the online "New Words
List", I don't miss anything. I already have perhaps four words
added since the online version, but I prefer to get it up to at
least a dozen corrections before posting it. I know the "New
Words List" is not complete, but combined with TKD, I believe
you have a good tool set for making your own dictionary.

My Access database has just over 1,800 words in it now. I
suspect there are a few more in my Pilot that are not in that
database yet, but the sweep through that many words is slow,
since it involves hopping between four different applications
for each word. That is why I abandoned the Word file. My
attention span has limits.

Meanwhile, so does everyone else's. That's why NONE of these
dictionaries are totally complete. I feel fairly confident
that, excluding the words in the unpublished new Okrand book, I
probably have a more complete word list now than Okrand does. I
was surprised to discover that I already had achieved that
state at qep'a' wejDIch and had the honor of presenting him
with my Word version of my dictionary at that time.

Few moments have pleased me more. I felt rewarded for my
loyalty to the language. Meteoric, talented upstarts like Guido
#1 and Qov may suddenly achieve more complete mental
vocabularies and speedier facility with the spoken language,
but damn it, I GAVE OKRAND HIS MOST COMLETE LISTING OF HIS OWN
WORDS.

I suspect it will puzzle future archiologists if I put that on
my tombstone.

> DloraH

charghwI'

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