tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jul 02 23:05:09 2001
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RE: "What are you doing?" (urgent)
- From: "Will Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: "What are you doing?" (urgent)
- Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 23:04:11 -0400
- Importance: Normal
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
There are different ways to express an idea. Sometimes, an idea is better
expressed in one language in a way radically different from the way it is
expressed in another. If I wanted to ask, "What are you doing?" in Klingon,
I'd say:
Qu'lIj yIngu'!
Note that this is not a question.
So? Want to make something of it?
Literally, it means, "Identify your task/mission." If I give you that order,
you'll give me the exact same answer you would have given me if I'd asked
you in English, "What are you doing?"
You could try to stay closer to the literal translation and preserve the
English grammar and ask: {nuq Data'lI'?} or {nuq DachavlI'?} Still, I'd
prefer the more direct {Qu'lIj yIngu'!} or maybe just get right up in your
face and shriek {DaH! Qu'lIj yIngu' jay'!}
Why?
Because it's more fun that way, of course. Life's too short to not be fun.
charghwI' 'utlh
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ulrich Schreitmueller
> [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 6:01 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: "What are you doing?" (urgent)
>
>
> Hi, this is sort of urgent...
>
> is there a phrase that means something like "what are you doing?"
> There seems to be no verb for "to do something" in tlhIngan Hol (unless I
> overlooked it).
> Something with {-taH}, perhaps, or with {vang}?
>
> Thanks,
> Uli
>
>