tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon May 05 22:49:46 1997

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RE: KLBC: Conversational Klingon

[email protected] on behalf of fonseca wrote:
> Tonight I wrote the Conversational Klingon. I could not understant some
> words, 
> so I'll need your help. Please, correct me where I'm wrong.

This is a very long project!  I will only make a few comments where they are 
needed, removing anything which is all right.  If there is something you still 
don't understand, post the relevant portions back to the list.

I did not listen to all of Conversational Klingon when looking at this.  I 
only listened to those parts which I couldn't remember or follow.  I may have 
misremembered something.

> 	taHram <Conversational> tlhIngan vIghItlh.

{DaHjaj} means "today," but there is no corresponding word for "tonight."  
Some people use {DaHjaj ram}, "today's night."  Personally, I always use 
{DaHjaj}, as I don't see much importance in distinguishing between "today" and 
"tonight."  If the difference must be made, once I've started talking about 
{DaHjaj}, I can then start talking about {ram}, and the context will make it 
clear that I'm talking about *this* night.  You might even consider using 
{ramvam} "this night."

My own pet name for "Conversational Klingon" is {ja'chuqmeH tlhIngan Hol} 
"Klingon for conferring."  You can't just say {tlhIngan}, because that refers 
to a Klingon, not to the language.  You must always say {tlhIngan Hol}.

> jIyajbe' loQ mu'mey,

"I do not understand some of the words."  You have correctly identified the 
verb to use, {yaj}.  Who does not understand?  This will be the subject, and 
that subject is "I."  What do I not understand?  This will be the object, and 
that object is "some words."  Then we follow Klingon's Obj-Verb-Subj order.

How do you say "some words"?  You cannot use {loQ}; {loQ} is an adverbial 
which is used to modify verbs, not nouns.  If it went in front of {yajbe'}, 
we'd get {loQ yajbe'} "slightly does not understand."  This is not what we 
want.

There's a handy little verb which is sometimes overlooked because it is so 
caught up in its comparative construction: {puS} "be few."  When used after a 
noun, it acts like an adjective.  {mu'mey puS} "a few words."

Now to put it all together:

mu'mey puS vIyajbe'.
I did not understand a few words.

> vaj qaQaHnIS
> 	(I need 
> you to help me).

This is convoluted compared to what Klingon can do.  The most Klingon way to 
express this would be to issue a command: {HIQaH} "help me!" or even just 
shout {QaH} "help!"  The fully drawn-out version would be {choQaH 'e' vIpoQ} 
"I require that you help me," but why say this?

>  cholugh pa'Daq lughbe' jIH

Ack!  You must remember to cast English sentences into better forms before you 
try to translate!  In this case, I'd go for

jIQaghchugh HIlughmoH
If I'm wrong, correct me.

Notice the {-moH} on {HIlughmoH}.  Literally, this is "cause me to be 
correct."

By the way, you shouldn't put {-Daq} on {pa'}, unless you mean "room."  Okrand 
has actually done this once himself, but we have no "in character" explanation 
as to why.  (The "out of character" explanation is obviously that he goofed.)

> 	My next goal is write the Power Klingon
> 	<Power> tlhIngan vIghItlh <next> ngoQwIj

Again, you must recast.  In this case, you must recast a lot.  Sentences using 
<noun> is <action> are common in English, but don't work well in Klingon.  How 
about this:

"Power Klingon" vIghItlh DaH 'e' moj ngoQwIj
Now my goal becomes to write Power Klingon.

I'm not overly thrilled by using {ghItlh} for this sort of thing, by the way.  
I'd rather see {qon}.  Although it's often used to mean "compose," it really 
does mean "record," and you're just recording what you hear on the tapes.

> 		 Conversational Klingon 
[...]
> Where is the bathroom - nuqDaq  'oH puchpa' 'e'

This is a "to be" construction as found in TKD 6.3.  Therefore, the {'e'} in 
this sentence is the *suffix* {-'e'}, which goes on the subject:

nuqDaq 'oH puchpa''e'?

[...]
> How many/much guards are coming - mughoS 'avwe' 'ar

{'avwI'} "guard"

[...]
> I don't speak klingon - tlhIngan Hol Dajatlhbe'

tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhbe'

[...]
> you're right - belugh

bIlugh

[...]
> she's early - 'aq

'eq

[...]
> No. I don't know anyone here - ghobe'.  naDev vay' bISovbe'

naDev vay' vISovbe'

> Are you transporting tribbles - yIHmey bIghIj'a'

I had to look this one up:

yIHmey DaHIj'a'

Make sure you get the prefix and the word right!  {ghIj} means "scare," not 
"transport goods."

> No. I'm not transporting tribbles - ghobe'. yIHmey vIghIjbe'

yIHmey vIHIjbe'.

> What did you say? - nuq jatlh

This is one word:

nuqjatlh?

[...]
> 5 phasers - vaH pu'HIchmey

vagh pu'HIchmey

[...]
> 9 tribbles - Hu' yIHmey

Hut yIHmey

[...]
> Today I'm thursty - taHjaj jI'oj

DaHjaj jI'oj

Look up {DaHjaj} in the dictionary!

[...]
> What is your number, terran? - nuq mI'lIj tera'ngan

By the way, everyone, this is an example of the question word being in a weird 
place!  I'd say that questions which omit the pronoun can be ordered either 
with the question word before or after.

> I guess number 42 - mI' loSmaH cha' jIH

"I'm guest number 42."
meb loSmaH cha' jIH

[...]
> Your room is number 23 - pa' cha'maH wej 'oH pa'lIj 'e'

Again, this is a "to be" construction, so {-'e'} is a suffix:

pa' cha'maH wej 'oH pa'lIj'e'

> The bed is too hard - let Qu' QongDaq *

"The bed is very hard."
letqu' QongDaq

> The room has no view - pa'vo' pagh leghlu' *

This is correct.  "From the room, one sees nothing."

> Check out time is 5AM - vaghrep yImejnIS *

vagh rep bImejnIS
"You need to leave at 5 am."

I believe we do not have an official word as to whether {rep} is part of the 
number or not.  I suspect not, though it's hardly important.  It's said the 
same way, and it's just a borrowing from Earth time.

[...]
> I want to visit the dilithium mines - cha'puj tlhIlghagh vISuch vIneH

cha'puj tlhIlHal vISuch vIneH

I don't know if {tlhIlHal} is supposed to be one word or not, but again, it's 
hardly important.  It's "mineral source."

> These places are nearby terran - SumDaq naDevvam tera'ngan *

Sum Daqmeyvam tera'ngan

He's using the word {Daq} "location."

[...]
> No. You must ride the (?) - ghobe'. lupwI' DalIghnIS *

That's right.

[...]
> Now I can smell somethig - DaH vay' vIlaghlaH

DaH vay' vIlarghlaH

> My eyes sting  - mu'aw' mindu'wIj *

That's right, though you must capitalize {D}.

> What is this place? - Daqvam nuq
> That is classify information(?) -  (?)  De'vetlh*

"That is classified information."
pegh De'vetlh

This is the sentence where we learn that {pegh} also means "be secret," in 
addition to TKD's definition, "keep a secret."

> When can I return to my room? - ghogh pa'wIjDaq jIchegh

ghorgh pa'wIjDaq jIchegh?

> Do you understand the menu terran - HIDjolev Dayaj 'a' tera'ngan


{-'a'} is, of course, a suffix.

HIDjolev Dayaj'a' tera'ngan?

[...]
> Do you trust me - chovoq 'a'

chovoq'a'

[...]
> "bon apetit" terran - vISop tera'ngan

yISop, tera'ngan.
Eat, Terran.

> How do I eat the food? - chay' SoD vISop

chay' Soj vISop?

> Use your hands - ghopDu'lIj yIlo'

Yes, though this is an Okrandian goof.  It *should* be {ghopDu'lIj tIlo'}.

[...]
> Eat them quickly - nom yISop

And by the same token, this should probably be {nom tISop}.

> There is food all over my face - qabwIjDaq Soj tu'lu' bej *

{-bej} is the suffix, not the verb.

qabwIjDaq Soj tu'lu'bej.

[...]
> Eat the pipius clawn - pIpyus pach vISop

This is a command:

pIpyuS pach yISop
Eat the pipius claw.

> Is Klingon food always raw? - reH tlhol 'a' tlhIngan Soj

reH tlhol'a' tlhIngan Soj?

> Terrans enjoy eating burnt animals - Ha'DIbaHmey meQ Sop'e' tIv tera'nganpu'

This time, we're looking at {'e'} as a pronoun

Ha'DIbaHmey meQ Sop 'e' tIv tera'nganpu'.

Another error; this *should* be {Ha'DIbaHmey meQ Sop 'e' lutIv tera'nganpu'}.

Hmmm . . . I'll have to remember that {meQ} is "be burnt."

> Klingons never destroy good food - not Soj QaQ Qaw' tlhInganpu'

This might be an error; depending on how you look at it, this might need to be 
{not Soj QaQ luQaw' tlhInganpu'}.

> Would you scort me to a bar? - tachDaq chuDor  'a'

tachDaq choDor'a'?

> Why is they (?) klingon? - qatlh Da(?)  tu'lu' tlhIngan *

"Why is there rubble everywhere, Klingon?"
qatlh Dat DI tu'lu', tlhIngan?

[...]
> Will you drink terran? bItlhutlh 'a' tera'ngan

bItlhutlh'a', tera'ngan?

> Yes. What is there? - HIja'.  nuq tu' lu'

{tu'lu'} by itself means "there is" or "there are."

nuq tu'lu'?

> They serve black (?) or Regulan bloodwine - HIqIj reghuluS 'IwHIq  ghap  jab 
*

HIq qIj reghuluS 'IwHIq ghap jab

> They won't seve Romulan ail to terrans. Too bolded. - tera'nganvaD romuluS
> HIq  
>      jabqo'. HoSghajqu' 

They won't serve Romulan ale to Terrans.  Too potent.
tera'nganvaD romuluS HIq jabQo'.  HoSghajqu'.

> I have the black (?) - HIqIj vItlhutlh vIneH  * (I really misunderstand this
> sentence)

I'll have the black ale.
HIq qIj vItlhutlh vIneH.

> What is happening over there? pa'Daq qaStaH nuq

Note that {pa'} is not supposed to take {-Daq}, but Okrand's got it anyway.

> Klingon warriors are (?) heads - (?)  nachDu'chaj tlhIngan SuvwI'pu' *

Klingon warriors are butting heads.
qIp'egh nachDu'chaj tlhIngan SuvwI'pu'.

This sentence really doesn't make much sense to me.  I think it's supposed to 
be {qIp'egh tlhIngan SuvwI'pu' nachDu'}.  However, perhaps Okrand has some 
weird sort of grammar in mind (which he'll *obviously* defend in his next book 
. . .).

> Everyone enjoy some (?) battle - may' ngeb tIv  Hoch*

Everyone enjoys a mock battle.
may' ngeb tIv Hoch.

> If were lucky when we'll get angry - ma'Do'chugh QeHchoH wa' *

If we're lucky, one will get angry.
maDo'chugh QeHchoH wa'.

> What did he say? - nuq jatlh

One word: {nuqjatlh}.

> He said: last (?) - 'eb Qav jatlhpu' *

He said, "Last call."
<'eb Qav> jatlhpu'.

> well we'll drink another one - latlh Datlhutlh 'a'

Will you drink another one?
latlh Datlhutlh'a'?

> No. I fell sick - ghobe'.  jIrop law' *

{-law'} the suffix.

No. I feel sick.
ghobe'.  jIroplaw'.

[...]
> Get help quickly - nom QaH yIQem *

nom QaH yIqem.

> Don't touch me - HIghopQo'

HIHotQo'

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97344.9

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