tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat May 30 20:54:23 1998
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: long weekend with MO
DloraH wrote:
>But when Marc and I went outside and drops of water were falling on us,
>he looked up and simply said "SIS".
I wrote:
>It looks like Glen Proechel was vindicated about indefinite or unspecified
>subjects being allowed in Klingon. Why some people objected to this idea in
>light of {-lu'} or {net} constructions puzzled me.
ter'eS wrote:
>Does this apply to any verb, I wonder, or just weather verbs? I had indeed
>bought into the idea that indefinite subjects weren't allowed (for reasons
>that excape me). I have used {SIS chal} in postings to this list, and I
>would translate something like "It is difficult to fight the officer" as
>{yaS SuvmeH Qatlh Qu'}. If I can use an impersonal subject, then I could
>just say {yaS SuvmeH Qatlh}. (Ironically, this point goes all the way back
>to my first letter to _HolQeD_, about the phrase {qIpmeH Qatlh}, almost 6
>years ago!)
{yaS SuvmeH Qatlh Qu'} "In order to fight the officer, the task is difficult"
seems awfully convoluted. Why make things difficult for yourself and create a
special "weather rule" until Okrand states it explicitly? ST5 would seem to
permit {yaS SuvmeH Qatlh}:
Vixis: nejwI' tIQ 'oH.
A probe of ancient origin.
Klaa: qIpmeH Qatlh'a'?
Difficult to hit?
("Is it difficult to hit?")
Vixis: Qatlhqu'.
Most difficult.
("It is very difficult.")
Klaa: maj.
Good.
Does "it" in Klaa's question and Vixis' answer refer to the probe or is this the
indefinite or vague "it" used in "it is raining"? We do have other examples of
this vague "it" in canon:
Do'Ha' "It is unfortunate." (TKD)
yImev, yap! "Stop! It is enough!" (KGT p.113)
There are also examples in the sample conjugated verbs in the often maligned
"MSN" Klingon Lesson materials at Star Trek: Continuum (so called because the
site was previously hosted on The Microsoft Network). Although the
"definitions" at the site were in fact written by STC staff, the words and
translations themselves were provided by Okrand, who also recorded a sound file
for each word.
Duy' "It is defective."
Hurgh "It is dark."
ngeb "It is false."
ngeD "It is easy."
ngo' "It is old (not young)."
SuQ "It is toxic."
tlhol "It is raw."
'ugh "It is heavy."
The intriguing items on this list are {Hurgh} "It is dark" and {ngeD} "It is
easy". Must "it" refer to a tangible object previously mentioned or implied by
context (admittedly true of the other examples), or can this also be the vague
"it" in {SIS} "It is raining"? Each of these examples is accompanied by an
explanation: e.g. "The quality Duy', meaning defective, as used in a sentence."
What exactly does "as used in a sentence" mean? A complete, one word sentence
or as used as part of a longer sentence? Other one word examples are presented
with the other verb prefixes: e.g. {bI'IH} "You are beautiful." {chotIch} "You
insult me." {qatlhob} "I ask you."
So, can you say:
Hurgh.
"It is dark." (looking out your window at night)
tlhIngan Hol jatlhmeH ngeD.
"Speaking Klingon is easy. It is easy to speak Klingon."
Voragh