tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu May 29 06:32:45 1997

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Re: 'etlh 'oH yIn'e'



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>Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 19:15:33 -0700 (PDT)
>From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
>
>charghwI'vo':
>Since this doesn't have KLBC on it, I'm taking the liberty of 
>leaping in.
>
>On Mon, 26 May 1997 07:51:39 -0700 (PDT)  [email protected] 
>wrote:
>
>> jagh DaneHchugh naSbej maH
>
>They bent the grammar here, since {naSbej maH} should obviously 
>be {manaSbej}, but that throws off the rhythm and rhyme (which 
>is why I HATE editing poetry). "If you want an enemy, we are 
>definitely vicious."
>
>> jup DaneHcugh mamatlhtaH
>
>You misspelled {DaneHchugh}. "If you want a friend, then we are 
>continuously loyal." [How "we" can be one friend, I'll leave up 
>to your imagination.]

The lack of plural markers doesn't bother me; Klingon plural marking is
optional.  What puzzles me is the shift from singular to plural in the
addressee.  Before, the line was "rejeychu'", with a plural audience, now
all of a sudden we're talking to only one person?

>> yIyajHa'Qo' yIn wImaS
>
>"Don't misunderstand. We prefer life." [They apparently don't 
>want to punctuate.]

This should be peyajHa'Qo' if we're going to plurals.

>> 'ach maHeghchugh 'ej manaS,
>
>[except for this comma] "But if we die and we are vicious,"

Notably not quite the same as the English you gave, which means "if we die
and [if] we are vicious."  The Klingon is "If we die, and by the way also
we're vicious..."  I'm pretty sure Klingon would have to repeat the -chugh
to make both conditions.

>> baS 'oH yIn'e' mayInDI'
>
>"When we live, life is metal."

- -taHvIS makes more sense than -DI' in this sentence though.

>> 'etlh moj yIn batlh maHeghDI'
>
>"When we die honorably, life becomes a sword."

While -DI' is right here.

~mark

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