tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Sep 09 21:59:25 1997
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Re: "Newbie-Alert"
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: "Newbie-Alert"
- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 21:59:14 -0700 (PDT)
At 09:24 AM 9/9/97 -0700, yabHuj wrote:
>HIqIm!
>(Attention!)
>[I think this is an appropriate "greeting"?]
I hate to say *anything* against such a forcefully Klingon beginning, but
we're beginning to suspect that {qIm} may not take an object, so that you
would have to say {peqIm} "[you all] pay attention!" instead of {?HIqIm}
"pay attention to me." The sentiment is certainly appropriate.
>*QIb Tai yabHuj*vo' jabbI'ID DalaD
>(You read a transmission from/by QIb Tai yabHuj)
>[maybe I can omit vo'?]
bIlugh. It's better without the {-vo'}. Because the first noun in a N-N
construction (see Section 3.4) can't have a type-5 suffix, you're not actually
saying "A message from QIb Tai" but rather "From QIb Tai, you read a message."
{QIb Tai yabHuj jabbI'ID bolaD} means "You [all] read Q.T.y.'s message."And
that's what we're doing.
Considering that you are addressing a group, {bolaD} might be more
appropriate. You can argue that you are addressing each individual who is
reading the message, and I would accept that.
>*Khemorex Klinzhai* gharwI' vIDev
>(I lead the Diplomats of Khemorex Klinzhai)
maj. You could have said {gharwI'pu'} to make it clear that there was more
than one diplomat, but it is not necessary.
>chaq choQoypa'
>(Maybe you heard of me before)
>[Do I have to insert "pongwIj" (my name) as object?]
Your sentence says: "Maybe before you hear me." The expression "hear of
(someone)" is an English idiom. Your suggestion {pongwIj} is a good solution.
Read about the V9 suffix {-pa'} in section 4.2.9. You can only use {-pa'}
to mean "before" when it introduces a subordinate clause, that is, in the
sense "before <sentence1>, <sentence2>." Example: {bIqetlaHpa' bIyItnIS} -
"Before you can run you must walk." You can't use it to mean "already."
So how do you say it? Use the perfective to indicate an action already
completed at the time of the sentence. {chaq pongwIj boQoypu'}. "Perhaps
you (plural) have heard my name."
>law'qu'bogh Hu'mey yabbI'ID vIlaDpu'
>(I read(imperf.) this transmissions (which are) many days ago.)
>[weird construct - probably not clean.]
You are saying: "I read these transmissions many days ago"?
You've made it hard on yourself. The expression "days ago" is in Klingon
simply the noun {Hu'}. How do you say "many days ago"? Same way as you say
"many targs": {targh law'} ... {Hu' law'}. A spelling error on {jabbI'ID}:
I hope you're remembering to pronounce the Klingon {j} as in "jazz" and not
as in "Jugoslavia." You don't need the perfective suffix {-pu'} here. It's
simple past tense and that is expressed in Klingon with {Hu'}. To say
"these" transmissions, add the suffix {-vam}.
{Hu' law' jabbI'IDvam vIlaD} - I read these transmissions[/this
transmission] many days ago.
>vIlaDqangtaH qoj vIghItlhqang
>(I will continue to read and I will write)
The suffix {-qang} is not a future tense marker to say that you "will" do
something. Klingon has no suffixes that mark tense. {-qang} means willing.
Your sentence is good grammatical Klingon, saying, "I am continuously
willing to read and I am willing to write." Note that "write" in this
context refers to the act of making marks, not the act of thinking of
something to say and the right words to say it in. The word {qon} is used
for "write" meaning "compose."
>rut qechwIj cholaD
>(Sometimes you will/can read my ideas)
{cholaD} - You read me. Even though the ideas are yours, "my ideas" is a
third person object. {DalaD} or {bolaD} depending on whether you are
speaking to individuals or addressing the group as a whole. To say "can
read" add the suffix {-laH} to the verb.
rut qechwIj bolaDlaH
A comment. You didn't once use a plural suffix in this post. It's
certainly not wrong not to use them, but it is ambiguous. In each case you
used the plural in English. Have a look at section 3.3.2 and make sure you
do know *how* to use plurals.
>I will continue to study my TKD and other texts. As soon as I am more
>familiar with the language I will slowly start to contribute texts.
bIghaqchoHta'mo' jIbelqu'.
>So there is no need to repeat your introduction (which I already read some
>times).
Gets tedious, doesn't it. :) I assume from the fact that you were expecting
the introduction that you also wanted me to suggest improvements to your
Klingon. Next time do put KLBC in the subject so that I (1) don't have to
wonder whether or not you would appreciate my attention and (2) so I don't
skip it if I'm in a hurry.
Qov ([email protected])
Beginners' Grammarian