tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jul 04 22:32:22 2000
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Re: A little expression translated. (KLBC)
- From: "Eric Andeen" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: A little expression translated. (KLBC)
- Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 22:32:51 -0700
- Importance: Normal
jatlh Paul:
> I was thinking about the expression 'What
> does not kill me, makes me stronger.' and
> thought it may be suitable for Klingons so I
> decided to try to translate it.
> My first try was {muHoSmoH muHoHbe'chugh},
> "If it does not kill me, it makes me
> stronger".
maj.
> Then it occured to me that it could also
> be cast as {muHoSmoH muHoHbe'bogh}
> "That which does not kill me makes me
> stronger".
There is a little problem here. <muHoHbe'bogh> is what we often call a
"headless relative" - a relative clause without an explicit head noun. This
may be legal grammar, and the "he/she/it/they" implied by the verb prefix
may be enough of a head noun, but it is questionable. It would be much more
understandable with a real noun, as in <muHoSmoH muHoHbe'bogh wanI'> - "A
phenomenon which does not kill me makes me stronger".
> Would it be better to recast it as something
> more verb-centered, like "When I am not
> killed, I become stronger". {jIHoSchoH
> jIHeghbe'DI'} perhaps?
This is grammatically correct, but it seems a little further from the
original thought to me. Choose the one you think best.
> Corrections and suggestions are welcome.
KLBC Dalo'mo' quSDaq bIba' :) Look in KGT at the idioms section if you don't
understand this.
pagh
Beginners' Grammarian