tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Feb 07 14:09:13 2001
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RE: NYC vIghoSpu'
ghunchu'wI':
> matatlh'eghta'.
De'vID:
: qayaj 'ach loQ taQ qechvam.
Marc Okrand on st.klingon (7/99):
A different verb, {tatlh}, is used for "return" in the sense
of returning a library book or returning a weapon to the weapons
rack. If someone were to say something like "I return the plate
to the table," the appropriate verb would be {tatlh}: {raSDaq
jengva' vItatlh} ... Though not common, it is also possible to
use {tatlh} with the reflexive suffix {-'egh} ("do something to
oneself") to convey a meaning similar to that of {chegh}: {pa'Daq
jItatlh'egh} "I return to the room" ... The {tatlh'egh} form seems
to suggest that the doer of the action is forcing himself/herself
to do something, perhaps because it is difficult or not desirable.
: SungIp'eghta''a'?
: Hmm... How do I indicate the person that is borrowed from in {ngIp}?
Okrand doesn't tell us. {ngIp} and {noj} are not attested in canon, but they
probably work like {nob} "give":
yaSvaD taj nobpu' qama'
The prisoner gave the officer the knife. TKD
ghIchwIj DabochmoHchugh ghIchlIj qanob.
If you shine my nose, I will give you your nose. PK
cha'puj vIngevmeH chaw' HInobneS.
Give me a permit to sell dilithium, your honor. PK
ro'qegh'Iwchab HInob.
Give me the rokeg blood pie. PK
{nobHa'} "give back, return":
Huch nobHa'bogh verenganpu''e' yIvoqQo'
Don't trust Ferengi who give back money. TKW
and {tlhap} "take":
juHwIjDaq Dochvetlh vItlhap. PK
I will take THAT to my home.
bImejDI' reH betleHlIj yItlhap
Never leave without your bet'telh. TKW
: be'vaD paq noj loD.
"The man lends a book to the woman." (A clear recast.)
: loDvaD(?) paq ngIp be'.
"The woman borrows a book for (the benefit of) the man." (Only if she's
borrowing the book on behalf of or to give to the man. E.g. "I borrowed this
advance copy of the latest Harry Potter for you from my friend at the
publishing house. Don't tell anyone!")
: loDvo'(?) paq ngIp be'.
"The woman borrows a book from the man." (Quite possible.)
There's an untranslated line at the beginning of "Power Klingon" which is
relevant:
chaq SoHvo' vay' vIje' vIneH.
[Maybe I'd like to buy something from you.] PK
This is something the hapless Terran says to the Klingon merchant before the
unfortunate shoot-out in the store. Okrand never says that the Terran in the
tape doesn't speak grammatical Klingon, only that he's woefully ignorant of
Klingon Sprachkultur; in this case, the etiquette of buying and selling.
{-vo'} and {-Daq} are spatial in Klingon. When you borrow, lend, give, buy or
sell something to someone, there is almost always movement of the object from
one person to another, at least in theory (things like real estate,
birthrights, and votes may be an exception). Thus, {Xvo' Y ngIp} "borrow Y
from X" and {XDaq Y noj} "lend Y to X" are perfectly fine to me. They're both
grammatical and supported by canon.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons