tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Aug 01 00:53:37 2001

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RE: Questions



> -----Original Message-----
> From: d'Armond Speers [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 6:18 PM
> To: '[email protected]'
> Subject: RE: Questions
>
>
>
> While I won't critique the attempts below, I will offer some more *ahem*
> Klingon versions (translation left as an exercise to the reader):
>
> pe'vIl choDuQ
>
> pay' pubchoH 'IwwIj
> (hmm, maybe that's more like lust...)

That, or explosive decompression from a hull breach. Anyway, lust counts.
It's only one flavor, but then, so are each of the OTHER pieces of the vague
thing humans call "love".

> qaleghDI' SIbI' 'oy'choH qIvonDu'wIj
> (definitely going in the wrong direction here...)

That's funny, bangwI' vIleghDI', belqu' qIvonDu'wIj.

Meanwhile, having, myself, written up a bunch of ways to express this years
ago, I find that some of the versions below definitely require some comment.

> --Holtej 'utlh
>
> tlhIngan-Hol Mailing List FAQ
> http://www.bigfoot.com/~dspeers/klingon/faq.htm
>
>
> > Falling in love in Klingon...
> >
> > Some time ago on the mailing list someone came up with 9
> > different ways to
> > say "I immediately fell in love, which struck me, so I copied
> > them and kept
> > them for a rainy day.
> >
> > qonwI' pong vIqawbe' 'e' jIpay, "archive" vInuD, 'ach
> > vItu'qa'be'.  toH,
> > boqonchugh, jItlhIj.

Well, a couple of these are definitely mine, but I hope that others are not,
since they have errors that I can now recognize, whether I could then or
not.

> > Here they are, with my literal translations
> >
> > SoHvaD lI' 'e' vItul
> >
> > WAYS OF SAYING "I IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE".
> >
> > bangwI' vImojmoH vIneHchoH.
> > I came to want that I become lover

This is arguably not well formed, but it is translated even worse. It
actually means something closer to, "I begin to want to cause her to become
my lover." Note that {bang} is a noun, not a verb, so {bangwI'} does not
mean "lover". It means "my lover", and {vImojmoH} does not mean "I become".
It means "I cause her to become".

Meanwhile, adding {-moH} to a transitive verb is messy business under the
best of circumstances, and in this instance, it is not the best of
circumstances. It would be cleaner and simpler as {SIbI' bangDaj vImoj
vIneHchoH.} "Immediately, I began to want to become her lover."

> > parmaqqaywI' vImojmoH vIneHchoH.
> > I came to want that I became romantic partner

This one has the same problem. It is arguably badly formed and definitely
translated even worse. {SIbI' parmaqqayDaj vImojchoH vIneH.} The {-choH}
works well either on {neH} or the main verb, and with {SIbI'} it is probably
unnecessary anyway.

> > vIngagh vIneHchoH.
> > I came to want that I mate with - surely a euphemism - this
> > is a family
> > show - her/him

If this is a family show, then just don't say that one, unless your family
is comfortable with the word and concept.

> > ghaHvaD tuq'a' vIchenmoH vIneH.
> > I want that I make a big family for her/him

"Family" is probably not the best translation here, nor is "big". It means,
"I want to form a great tribe for her." The word "tribe" is my personal
preference to using the word "house" and then having to explain that it
doesn't mean a building. It means what they are talking about when they say
stuff like "House of Mogh". It is a tribe or a clan.

> > SIbI' vISuvchoH.
> > I become fighting her immediately

The English is a little rough, but it works.

> > tIqwI' DuQchu' be'vam Quch.
> > (Guys, look at that one again. I'm proud of it.)
> > This woman's forehead stabs my heart profoundly

I'm pretty sure I wrote all of these. I'm also quite sure I'm less proud now
than I was then.

> > be'vam vImonchoHmoH vIneH. Qu'vam potlh law' Hoch potlh puS.
> > The most important thing is that I make this woman smile.

Yep. That definitely has a charghwI' ring to it.

> > vItlha' vIneHchu'.
> > I want perfectly to chase/follow her/him
> >
> > vISawqangchoH.
> > I have become willing to marry her/him
> >

The Klingon is mine, but the English is not.

Likely I could do better these days, but right now, I need sleep.

charghwI'



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