tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Dec 10 17:05:17 1999

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RE: KLBC: tlhIngan Hol vIqeq vIneH

Welcome to the list, De'vID. You obviously already know the rules, so have
fun!

jatlh De'vID:

> tlhIngan Hol vIlo' 'e' vIqeq vIneH.
> = I would like to practise using tlhIngan Hol.
> (Is "tlhIngan Hol vIqeq vIneH" alright here?) 

Your first sentence is definietly fine. The second one is fine too - I think
you can practice a language.

> jIlIH'eghneS.  
> = I am pleased to introduce myself.

Since <-neS> is used for "extreme politeness or deference", I would not
expect it to be used by anyone addressing me. I am honored, though.

> Star Trek vIparHa', 'ej tlhInganpu' vIparHa'qu'.
> = I like Star Trek, and I especially like Klingons.

Marc Okrand at one point (I don't remember where) called Star Trek <Hov
leng> and it has stuck, at least among the subscribers of this mailing list.
It's also perfectly OK to use just plain "Star Trek".

> 'ach wej tlhIngan Hol pong vIghaj.
> = But I do not yet have a Klingon name.

qay'be'. ponglIj DawIvtaHvIS yIyep. yItuv. DuyonmoHchu'bogh pong yIwIv.
Be careful in choosing your Klingon name. Be patient. Chose one that suits
you well.

> DIvI' Hol pong 'oH <<David>> 'e'.
> = My Federation standard language (i.e. English) 
> name is David.
<pongwIj>, qar'a'?

> 'ej Huch vISuqmeH, De'wI' jonwI' Qu' vIta'taH.
> = And I am a computer engineer.  (I don't know
> of any canon way to describe a career in Klingon.)

You made a good attempt at it. I usually just say <De'wI' vIghun>, but I
don't really like the whole "engineer" thing anyway when it applies to
software design.

> vaj, tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhtaHvIS, 
> "De'vID"vad jIpong'egh vIneH.

A little problem with <pong> here - the beneficiary of the action (the thing
with the <-vaD>) should be the person who is named, not the name itself. The
name is the direct object of the verb.

When naming oneself, the safest thing to say is <jIHvaD De'vID vIpong>. Some
people are willing to say <De'vID vIpong'egh>, using a logical extension of
the "prefix trick". A conservative interpretation of the grammar as we know
it does not allow this, though.

> pIj De'wI' vIghuntaH, 'ej vIDbogh De' Qobbogh 
> De' ?joq? rur pongvam.
> = So, I would like my Klingon name to be "De'vID".
> I often work with computers, and this name
> sounds like "belligerent, dangerous computer
> data".  (Hmm... maybe like a computer virus?)
> [Also in the above, is it ?joq? or ?qoj?, and
> does it go between or after the -bogh clauses?]

This is a very interesting question. Since you've repeated the noun, it's
fine to use a noun conjunction like <joq> after both nouns. If you had not
repeated the noun, <qoj> would work between the clauses. 

The interesting questions are: Can you use <qoj> as well if you repeat the
noun? Can you use <joq> if you don't? These require some thought.

> ghunbogh SuvwI'na' pong 'oH pongvam 'e', qar'a'?
> = Truly a warrior-programmer's name, isn't it?
No space between <pongvam> and <-'e'>.

> pongvam ghaj'a' latlh?
> = Anyone else with this name?
pagh vISov.

> (I also want to ask, does it mean anything or have
> any connotations, but I can't find the word for
> "meaning".  I understand that the KLI's translation
> of the Bible used "DavID", is that correct?)
I don't know, but I can't see how it could be anything else.

> I am here to learn, so feel free to slay my mistakes!
Qaghmey vIHoH reH 'e' vItIv. muwwHaHaHa!


Very good first message. ghorgh tlhIngan Hol DaHaDchoH?



pagh
Beginners' Grammarian

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