tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Aug 24 21:29:03 1999
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
special toast grammar
ja'pu' pagh:
>Toasts in Klingon have special grammar, putting the verb
>*after* the subject rather than before it, but this grammar applies only to
>toasts, and not every sentence with <-jaj> on the verb.
ja' pIl'o':
> I've never seen this rule before, or if I did the concept got lost
>somewhere...
>Where is this rule discussed/explained in canon sources?
The _Conversational Klingon_ audiotape includes a toast: {'IwlIj jachjaj}
which is translated "May your blood scream." Captain Krankor complained
about the backwards grammar immediately, notably in his article "Qaghmey"
which appeared in HolQeD 2:1: "No way the subject can go before the verb."
When _Power Klingon_ came out, Okrand took the opportunity to note that
toasts follow special rules, and that a simple transposition of two words
in a toast resulted in a disaster for one particular Terran: "As of the
release of this tape, they were still finding his pieces." Krankor again
commented on this, accepting with good humor the subtle reminder that the
language belongs to Okrand. He then proceeded to derive a "special rule"
that explained all the examples of toasts presented in the tape, which he
presented in his "From the Grammarian's Desk" column in HolQeD 2:4:
"Unlike the rest of {tlhIngan Hol}, they appear to follow the sentence
structure OBJECT-SUBJECT-VERB".
The official explanation of the special toast grammar is given on page 25
of _Klingon for the Galactic Traveler_: "In a toast, the last word is
always the verb (ending in {-jaj} ["may"]), even if that means the subject
precedes the verb." We also learn that in the {Sa'Qej} and {noHva'Dut}
dialects, this special rule is not followed. Because of the extremely
serious consequences of getting toasts wrong, Okrand gives some advice:
"A visitor from outside the Klingon world should be aware of the speech
patterns of others present (and, to play it very safe, should avoid making
toasts with overt subjects)."
[Because of this and another feature of the {Sa'Qej} dialect, we have come
to accept that our HoD Qanqor is a native of that region. :-)]
-- ghunchu'wI' 'utlh