tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Mar 21 21:18:33 2001

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Re: KLBC: Patience makes perfect



ja' Robert Bracey <[email protected]>:
>qesDajvad Qon jabbI'IDmey JIlad.
>I read Qon's posting for his suggestions.

mujlaw' <-vaD>.  pagh Hev qeSDaj.  qaq <-mo'> 'e' vIchup.

I don't think {-vaD} is the suffix you wanted.  The advice isn't receiving
anything.  This use of the English word "for" apparently means something
close to "regarding" or "concerning".  Try the suffix {-mo'} "because of".

>ngeDmo' tlhingan Hol pab tlhIngan Hol
>mu'tey lo'laHlaw' law' pab lo'laHlaw'pus.
>Because Klingon Grammar is easy
>Klingon Vocabulary seems more valuable than the Grammar.

bepbe' taD, 'ach jIbepqang jIH.  <lo'laH>Daq <-law'> Dalanmo', Huj
mu'tlhegh.  nItnISlaw' <A Q law' B Q puS> wot (chaq lengwI'mey vIlaj).
mu'mey DaghItlhbogh yajlu'bej, 'ach pabHa' 'e' vIHar.

taD didn't complain about your putting the suffix {-law'} on {lo'laH} in a
comparative construction, but I will.  The formula is quite rigid, and I
believe the verb of quality should not be modified (except *maybe* by
rovers).  Yes, what you wrote is understandable, and has basically an
unambiguous meaning, but I don't think it's quite grammatically correct.

'ej bIchovHa' 'e' vIHar. :)  napba' tlhIngan Hol pab 'ej ngeD, 'ach
potlhchu'.  nom mu'tay' ghojlu' Hol lo'lu'taHvIS.  machqu' tlhIngan Hol
mu'tay' net Sov.  mu' puS ghovbe'lu'chugh, mu'mey Summo' pIj qech loylu'.
'ej mu'mey mughlaH De'wI'mey'e' jay'.  DaHjaj mu'tlhegh yajlaH ghot neH.
mu'ghomDaq mu'mey SamlaH laDwI', 'ach yabDaq pab 'uchnIS.

I also disagree with your assessment of the relative value of grammar and
vocabulary.  Klingon grammar is simple and easy, but it is of paramount
importance.  Vocabulary comes almost automatically from using the language.
After all, the Klingon vocabulary is quite small.  An unfamiliar word can
often be understood from context.  And vocabulary is so trivial that even a
computer can translate words! :)  At present, only a person can understand
a sentence.  Words can be found in the dictionary, but the grammar must be
held in the reader's head.

>Can anyone suggest a better word than valuable lo'laH?

{potlh} "be important", perhaps?
Or, given my contradictory viewpoint, {ram} "be trivial". :-)

-- ghunchu'wI' 'utlh




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