tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 30 19:01:12 1999
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RE: pab lugh'a' / KLBC
- From: "Andeen, Eric" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: pab lugh'a' / KLBC
- Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 19:01:34 -0700
jatlh runa:
> "Telling jokes in the Big House"
> [I'm still trying to get back into
> learning Klingon, so I need a quick
> grammar check.]
lu'.
> bIghHa' SopwI'pa'Daq 'uQ SoptaH qama' chu'.
> [In the jail mess hall a new prisoner was
> eating supper.]
Given the nature of meals in prison, <SoplI'> would probably be better than
<SoptaH>. Otherwise good.
> pay' Qam wa' qama'. jatlh "cha'maH cha'".
> [Suddenly a prisoner stood up. He said,
> "twenty-two."]
> Hagh qama' Hoch. Haghbe' qama' chu' neH.
> [All the prisoners laughed. Only the new
> prisoner didn't laugh.]
<Hoch> goes in front of the noun it modifies.
> Qam latlh qama'. jatlh "loS".
> [Another prisoner stood up. "Four," he said.]
> Haghqu' qama' Hoch. Haghbe' qama' chu' neH.
> [All the prisoners laughed a lot. Only the
> new prisoner didn't laugh.]
Again, <Haghqu' Hoch qama'.>
> Qam qama' wejDich. jatlh "wa'maH jav".
> [A third prisoner stood up. He said, "Sixteen."]
> Haghbejqu' qama' Hoch. Haghbe' qama' chu' neH.
> [All the prisoners roared. Only the new prisoner
> didn't laugh.]
> maqochDaj Sum ghel qama' chu'.
> jatlh "nuq jatlh chaH? qatlh Hagh?"
> [The new prisoner asked his buddy who
> was near-by. He said, "what are they
> saying? Why are they laughing?"]
This should probably be <nuq lujatlh chaH?>.
> jatlh Sumbogh maqoch, "cha'maH vagh qID
> DISov neH. mI' ghaj Hoch qID. qID Daja'
> DaneHchugh vaj mI'Daj yIlo'."
> [Said the buddy near him, "We only know
> twenty-five jokes. Each joke has a
> number. If you want to tell a joke, then
> use its number."
The <neH> here would be more appropriate after the <... qID> than after the
verb.
> cha'maH vagh qID qawchu'DI', qID ja'
> neH qama' chu'.
> [After memorizing the twenty-five jokes,
> the new prisoner wanted to tell a joke.]
maj.
> bIghHa' SopwI'pa'Daq 'uQ luSoptaHvIS,
> Qam qama' chu'. jatlh "wa'maH wej".
> [In the mess hall of the jail while they
> were eating supper, the new prisoner
> stood up. He said "Thirteen."]
This might be clearer with <qama'pu'> after <luSoptaHvIS>.
> tambejqu' latlh qama' Hoch.
> [All the other prisoners were totally silent.]
qatlh?
> nom ba' qama' chu'.
> [Quickly the new prisoner sat down.]
This is a perfect place for <-qa'>.
> maqochDaj tlhob, jatlh "qatlh Haghbe' chaH?"
> [He asked his buddy, "Why didn't they laugh?"]
> "bIqIDlaHba'be'qu' neH".
> [You just really don't know how to tell a
> joke very well.]
Weird combination of suffixes, but it works. Dunbej Holmaj, qar'a'?
This joke is particularly appropriate for Klingons, who as a whole seem to
have a few well known jokes. majQa'. jIHaghbej jIH.
pagh
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