tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Jun 28 15:06:00 1997

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Re: KLBC story: puyjaq

This trails off into a long post in English that says much more about Qov
than tlhIngan Hol, so it probably shouldn't be responded to in English, but
I wanted it said.

At 10:10 AM 6/28/97 -0700, SuStel wrote:
>I responded to Qov's story and she wrote back:
>
>> >> ben law' rur HoD.
>> >This is a bit confusing.  I read it as "Years ago, the captain resembled
>> >him." 
>> > What do you mean to say?
>> Exactly that.  I can't think of a differently worded translation.
>The wording is fine.  You're just lacking some detail for the reader to focus 
>on.  Maybe a sentence describing exactly what about him was similar.

The preceding sentences about the navigator being innocent and
overenthusiastic were what I was referring to.  It wasn't important enough
to belabour.  If, for reasons related to tlhIngan Hol, it doesn't make
sense, then leave it out.

>> >> <De'wI'> jatlh HoD. <qon: Hovtay' tlh-ng-cha'SaD loSvatlh SochmaH 
>> >> chorgh wInuDta'.
>> >Given that we know little or nothing about the Klingon writing system, I
>> >don't think we should go and assume that they'd abbreviate things like
this. >>  It's just the catalogue number of a solar system.  TN-2478.  
>But my response still holds.  I very much doubt that Klingons would cataloge 
>things by the phonetics of the language.  They probably have symbols with 
>names, or something like that, and we don't know those names.

Huh?  Of course they would use symbols. Probably pIqaD symbols. I don't have
a pIqaD keyboard.  I half to use the Okrand transcription.  Is it too much
to imagine that there exists at some point in the history of the Empire an
organization that uses solar system designations consisting of two letters
and four numbers?  Every Earth country I have ever been to uses the symbols
of its writing sysem as part of codes on things like license plates and
customs forms. Why the hell do you 'very much doubt' Klingons would do the
same? Is this really a lingustic point?

>Okay, if that's what really happened.  I just found it hard to believe that 
>someone could *accidentally* activate a ship's warp drive . . .
>
>> >Warp Factor 10?  These Klingons must be using the old-style Warp scale.

You're probably thinking, 'Qov sounds irritated.  Why did she post to KLBC
if she can't take a little criticism?' I come here for criticism of tlhIngan
Hol. It irritates me when the content of stories gets criticised by the BG
along with the tlhIngan Hol.  It irritated mt when Deborah Kay was getting
told every chapter of her story "Klingons wouldn't do that,"  right along
with the "wrong prefix" corrections.  And it has confused me in your
responses to my recent stories, then irritated me as I realize what is
happening. If Qov, who has a pretty good grasp of the basics of tlhIngan
Hol, is confused by corrections that aren't grammar corrections, then I
would imagine some beginners are, too. If what the person seems to have said
is so strange that the grammarian suspects it is the result of a grammatical
or vocabulary error, then by all means point it out.  But if it just
conflicts with your idea of what Klignons might do, refrain, or save it for
a post when you aren't wearing your BG hat.  Am I being unreasonably sensitive?

One of my very first posts to this list was a story.  And the first response
to it was a comment on the STORY not the Hol.  Fortunately it was a positive
comment.  Had it been negative I probably would never have come back.  

Perhaps the foregoing will explain why in response to recent suggestions
that I submit to jatmey, I say without hesitation: "never".  jatmey is a
literary journal.  The works in it are there for evaluation/appreciation on
their literary merit.  I do not wish to put my work in this environment. I
would perhaps submit my work (in languages that have markets for fiction) to
a commercial publication, under purely mercenary motivation.  I would NEVER
submit it to a literary journal.

End of rant.

 -vIngbogh Qov.

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