tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 28 17:31:14 2000
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
RE: thunder and lightning
- From: Eric Andeen <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: thunder and lightning
- Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 17:30:08 -0700
> I've just helped a guy find a word for thunder (and
> lightning in the process). I have stumbled on a question
> of my own doing that.
> I've deduced <muDul'> for lightning ...
> ... and <muDmay' bom> for thunder.
> TKD doesn't put the different nouns of a noun-noun construction
> together. Have I erred in doing so? Should it be <muD ul'> and
> <muD may' bom>?
> And because I'm not very sure of myself at times: is muD may'
> bom a good way to translate thunder?
Careful with spelling: it's <'ul> rather than <ul'>.
Klingon does have compound nouns, like <QongDaq>, but it's probably better
to stay away from compounds, and keep the words seperate.
I think <chal 'ul> is probably better than <muD 'ul>. <muD 'ul> could be any
electricity in the air, and would probably suggest common static
electricity. Lightning *is* static electricity, of course, but much more
powerful than the typical spark between your finger and a bit of metal.
I also don't think <chal may' bom> (or <muD may' bom>) works very well. It's
a nice image for a poem, but it's a little obscure for everyday usage. For
that, I'd suggest <chal 'ul wab'a'>. <wab> is a fairly new word - you won't
find it in TKD or KGT - that means "noise", so <chal 'ul wab'a'> would be
"great noise of lightning". Awkward, I know, but easily understood.
pagh
Beginners' Grammarian