tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu May 29 15:55:38 1997

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RE: KLBC: More "originality" (wejpuH)

Stardate 97403.48 jatlh Q'ISto'va:

> I can't remember the exact wording of the phrase, but it was well known as
> a post-sex cliche question... something like "Did you feel the earth
> move?", but I thought it would make an excellent bit of Klingon bed humor:
> 
> "Did you feel the earth move?"
> <<bIQompu''a' ?>> (Literally: Did you experience an earthquake?)

This is correct.

> Also, an old favorite:
> 
> "Not tonight, I have a headache"
> <<ramvambe', jIwuQ>>

You cannot put the verb suffix {-be'} on a noun.  You can't just say "Not 
tonight."  Not tonight what?  You must add a verb describing what you won't do 
tonight.

ramvam manga'chuqbe'.  jIwuQtaH.
We will not have sex tonight.  I have a headache.

I put the {-taH} in because it's the persistence of the alleged headache which 
prevents one from desiring sex.  If you knew the headache would go away in a 
few minutes, you wouldn't use this excuse.

> I've been meaning to try and make it more specific by using:
> 
> "Not tonight because I have a headache", but somehow I've hit a problem as
> -mo' (because of/due to) would be ideal for the situation, but alas it is
> for nouns instead of verbs...

Check out the Addendum to TKD, section 4.  {-mo'} is also a Type 9 verb 
suffix.

jIwuQtaHmo' ramvam manga'chuqbe'.

> As well as that, I've been having problems with a two line dialogue. The
> word "owe" apparently is not a recognized word in tlhIngan Hol, so I'm
> using something on the lines of "I'm willing to die for you" for the lack
> of a better alternative to "I owe you one" in the following dialogue,

Actually, I think this is a pretty good substitute.  With the word "owe" in 
English, *what* exactly do you owe?  Figure this out, and you can say that you 
"need to give me" that thing, or you can say that you must do that thing for 
me.

> thus:
> 
> "Thanks, I owe you one."
> "You owe me six, but who's counting?"
> 
> (If anyone can translate this directly, I'd appreciate this!), For now
> I've resorted to the following:
> 
> "Thanks, I am willing to die for you."
> "You now are willing to die for me six times, but who is counting?"
> 
> (Sounds crap huh?)
> 
> Translation of latter (as best as I could):
> 
> <<qatlho'.

This is a matter of style, but I always see {qatlho'}, and then imagine the 
recipient of this statement thinking impatiently, "All right, go ahead and 
thank me."  If you're going to thank someone, don't *tell* them you're going 
to thank them before you do it.  This is just my opinion, however.

>  SoHvaD jIheghqang 'ej>>

What's that {'ej} doing there?  It's supposed to join sentences.  It can't go 
last, and there's got to be something after it!  Just drop it, and you've got, 
"I am willing to die for you."

> <<DaH javlogh jIHvaD bIheghqang

"Now you are willing to die for me six times."  You seem to be forgetting to 
capitalize the {H} in {Hegh}.

How does the speaker know that the other is willing to die for him six times?  
How can someone do that, anyway?  You mean he has been willing, six times, to 
die for him.  Unfortunately, we don't know if Klingons would see the 
adverbial-like {javlogh} as talking about the verb, its suffix, or the entire 
construction.  Perhaps that would be better said with this:

javlogh choja'pu' SoHvaD jIHeghqang.
You've told me you're willing to die for me six times.

More literally, it is "You have told me six times, 'I am willing to die for 
you.'"

> 'ach togh 'Iv?>>

My instincts tell me that Klingons do not ask rhetorical questions.  If I 
*really* wanted to know who is counting, I'd ask, {toghtaH 'Iv}.  Since the 
count is ongoing, the {-taH} suffix is appropriate here.

> Also, with regard to my previous masterpiece phrase (which has been
> graciously edited):
> 
> <<qablIj vIghorqu' betleHwIj qaHotchugh jay'>>

Er . . . let's see, you've got a weird prefix here.  "I'll smash your face if 
I touch you my betleH!"  You need {qablIj vIghorqu' betleHwIj DaHotchugh 
jay'}.

> Which word of the sentence is "jay'" actually emphasizing as the
> invective? Would it be "qablIj", ie... "... I *break* your %@#$ face!" ?
> to quote the final part of the translation?

It doesn't emphasize any word.  It turns the entire sentence into an 
invective.  All the symbols are just a cute way of expressing the feeling 
involved, but they aren't translatable in a one-to-one way.  Just put the 
cutsey symbols wherever you feel they are appropriate, or leave them out with 
the realization that it is an untranslatable word in Klingon.

> qatlho', Qapla' 'ej.

Once again, you have used {'ej} in a place it doesn't belong.  {qatlho'} is a 
verb, {Qapla'} is a noun, and you cannot join the two.  Besides the fact that 
I don't think Klingons would use {qatlho'} or {Qapla'} at the end of *any* 
message, you simply have to delete the {'ej} and make the comma a period.

> PS: BTW, Is there a word for spit/sputum or "to spit"? I wanted to add a
> little humor to my Klingon with a phrase like "Pardon my spit" or "I'm
> sorry, It appears I've (been spitting/spat while I spoke)" etc.?

As we learn in several sources, Klingons don't pay attention to the fact that 
they're spitting while they're speaking.  They certainly wouldn't apologize 
for it!

I don't *think* there's a word for this, though you could talk about {nuj bIQ} 
. . .

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97409.8

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