tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Sep 12 00:51:54 1997
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Re: KLBC: Ha'DIbaHmey
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: Ha'DIbaHmey
- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 00:51:49 -0700 (PDT)
At 04:56 PM 9/11/97 -0700, Scott D. Randel wrote:
>*wolf* rur Nuq?
>(What looks like a wolf?)
{nuq} - never capitalize Klingon {n}. Otherwise a perfectly formed sentence.
>tera'ngan *wolf* rur thlingan Ha'DIbaH nuq jijatlhjaj?
>(May I say "what Klingon animal resembles a Terran wolf"?)
{nuq} doesn't mean "which." {tlhIngan Ha'DIbaH nuq} means "a Klingon
animal's what?" "the what of a Klingon animal?" We would rephrase your
question as a command "Identify the terran animal that resembles a wolf."
tera' *wolf* rurbogh tlhIngan Ha'DIbaH yIngu'.
I say {tera' *wolf*} -- "Earth's wolf," rather than "Earthling's wolf."
Consider {Deneb Qatlh} (not {*Denebyangan Qatlh}) as a similar expression.
As for the way you have asked the question, {-jaj} means may, only in the
sense of wishing something be true. Reread TKD appendix 4.2.9. Use {-jaj}
for: "May you die in your bed!" {QongDaqDaq bIHeghjaj}, "May we achieve
ultimate success." {Qapla''a' wIchavjaj}. NOT "may I borrow the car," "he
may die of his wounds," or "here we go gathering nuts in May."
"May I say X" translates to Klingon as {X jIjatlh net chaw''a'} "Is it
permitted that I say X" See section 6.2.5 if you aren't familiar with {net}.
And watch spelling: {tlhIngan} {jIjatlh}. Always capitalize {I}.
loQ *wolf* rurlaw' targh.
Qov ([email protected])
Beginners' Grammarian