tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 24 11:25:33 1999
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
RE: KLBC thingees
- From: "Andeen, Eric" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC thingees
- Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 12:26:04 -0700
> nuqneH,
>
> How does one do comparatives in Klingon? I would like to say
> I like X better than Y.
The answer is in TKD section 6.6 (page 70). To compare a quality (verb
describing a state or quality) Q of nouns X and Y, the formula is: <X Q law'
Y Q puS>. This means "X is more Q than Y." For example:
'etlh tIn law' taj tIn puS - The sword is bigger than the dagger
jIH pI' law' be'nalwI' pI' puS - I am fatter than my wife
SoH qan law' Hoch qan puS - You are the oldest of all
For comparisons, like yours, that don't quite fit this formula, things get
trickier. There is really no way to fit active verbs like <parHa'> into this
construction, so you have to recast a bit. In this case, the best way to do
it is something like:
jIHvaD X qaq law' Y qaq puS
jIHvaD X 'ey law' Y 'ey puS
X 'IH law' Y 'IH puS
You can drop the <jIHvaD> most of the time - I think Klingons worry less
about distinguishing between their own opinions and general statements than
most English speakers do.
> jabbI'ID tlhingan Hol Qatlh.
"Klingon messages are difficult.", yes?
I think you have your word order backwards here. A "Klingon [language]
message" is a <tlhIngan Hol jabbI'ID> - same order as in English. Also, the
verb <Qatlh> has to go before the subject <tlhIngan Hol jabbI'ID>.
Qatlh tlhIngan Hol jabbI'ID.
pagh
Beginners' Grammarian
tlhIngan Hol Mailing List FAQ
http://www.bigfoot.com/~dspeers/klingon/faq.htm