tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Jun 17 08:45:20 2000
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Re: A grammar question...
Okay, it's been a day. The message is not marked with KLBC. I've got the
time. The weekends are usually low-volume for the list. I'm gearing up for
the /qep'a'/. I'll bite.
jatlh juDmoS:
> mayDaq loDnI'pu'wI' :
> Fellow warriors:
/may/ is "be fair." /may'/ is battle. But even adding the apostrophe, the
phrase doesn't make sense. You've got two nouns, and the first has a Type 5
suffix. THE KLINGON DICTIONARY, page 31, says "When the noun-noun
construction is used, only the second noun can take syntactic suffixes (Type
5)." /-Daq/ can't be used where you've placed it.
You're obviously trying to render this as "my brothers in battle." Not only
do the objections of the above paragraph hold, but the Type 5 noun suffix
/-Daq/ is used to indicate the noun refers to a spatial concept. "Battle,"
in "brothers in battle," is not a spatial concept. The brothers are not
inside a space or object called "battle." There is no spatial relation.
One idea would be to change the noun-noun construction. /may' loDnI'pu'wI'/
"my battle brothers." As a form of address, it could easily be shortened to
/may' loDnI'/ "battle brothers," as the plural marker is optional and the
context (standing in front of many warriors) would make the meaning clear,
and as "my" wouldn't change the meaning in the same context.
Another thing to try would be to simply refer to /SuvwI'/ or /SuvwI'pu'/.
There's nothing explicitly identifying the speaker as a "fellow" warrior,
though. If the speaker were of a lower station than the warriors, he could,
of course, use /-neS/ somewhere in the speech.
Or, combine these ideas: /SuvwI' loDnI'/ "warrior brothers." This might
even be an appropriate time to try /vaj loDnI'/ "warrior brothers." See
KLINGON FOR THE GALACTIC TRAVELER, p. 50, for the difference between
/SuvwI'/ and /vaj/.
> meblI' jIHmo' jIquvqu'.
> It is my great Honor to be your guest.
maj.
> juDmoS jIH 'ej Sa'tlho' 'ej mayDaq Hoch jaghpu'ra' bocharghjaj.
> I, juDmoS, thank you all, and wish each of you victory in all your
battles.
Be careful with your apostrophes. The glottal stop is as important a
consonant in Klingon as any other. /Satlho'/ "I thank you (plural)," and
/may'/ "battle."
Once again, the question comes up whether /may'Daq/ is appropriate for "in
battle." Again, this doesn't seem to be referring to a place, but a
situation. Situations are not spatial nouns, so /-Daq/ isn't appropriate.
The fix here is pretty easy. Instead of /may'Daq/ for "in battle," use
/SughobtaHvIS/ "while you (plural) are doing battle," /SuSuvtaHvIS/ "while
you (plural) are fighting," /qaStaHvIS may'/ "while the battle occurs," or
some other supordinate clause.
The rest of it looks pretty good. An interesting note on your translation:
you've equated victory with conquering all of your enemies. A very Klingon
sentiment.
SuStel
Stardate 461.7