tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 25 18:39:50 1997
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RE: nuqneH - cha'wIgh
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: nuqneH - cha'wIgh
- Date: Wed, 25 Jun 97 21:41:13 UT
jatlh cha'wIgh:
> My first hello to fellow klingon learners.
Hi! I'm SuStel, the list's Beginners' Grammarian. Perhaps by now you've
ready my BG intro, but if not, here's the deal. If you want some help from
me, whether as a beginner's question or just looking over some simple grammar,
then just put "KLBC" in the subject line. This will alert me to a message
needing my help, and it will help keep off too many conflicting opinions at
once. Feel free to start up a conversation with anybody under KLBC!
Two important web sites, if you haven't already visited them:
The Klingon Language Institute
http://www.kli.org
this list's FAQ
http://www.thomtech.com/~dspeers/klingon/faq.htm
> I have a klingon dictionary but have retained little of its content in
> the 2-3 weeks I've had it.
That's okay. The key to learning Klingon is practice.
> How abouta more whimsical translation - after all klingons have a sense of
humour -
> could someone suggest a translation of "insult the porcelain"
We don't a have a Klingon word for "porcelain." And just saying {puch yItIch}
"insult the toilet" seems to lose the effect of this phrase.
> I chose my name from a sound I heard on star trek (maybe it was vulqan
> rather than klingon) but it should translate as 'double genius' - no I'm
> not conceited.
Well, {cha' wIgh} means "two geniuses." I suppose the closest you could get
might be {cha'logh wIgh jIH} "I am a genius twice," but even this sounds
silly. I'd just go for the phrase {wIghna' jIH} "I am a definite genius."
> Why are vertically challenged people nicknamed lofty? Why
> are men with red hair nicknamed blue?
> I welcome all comments and constructive criticism.
You want to translate these into Klingon? They don't even translate from
Austrailain English to American English! I've never heard anyone nicknamed
"Lofty" or "Blue," let alone short people or red-haired people.
Trying to translate whimsical things is tough. Since many such phrases
require puns, you're going to lose the pun in the translation.
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97483.7