tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun May 13 21:57:39 2001
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Re: More questions
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rohan Fenwick" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 3:23 AM
Subject: More questions (was Re: *Paramount* chaw')
> This has become a very interesting discussion for one that started with an
> innocent question regarding permission. Can our Klingon be copyrighted?
> Shift that onto another language: would it be right to copyright
Esperanto?
> Or even English for that matter?
>
A language cannot be copyrighted. Only the original expression of ideas,
telling of stories and so forth can be copyrighted; and only by the original
author (or his/her assigns). The Klingon language cannot be copyrighted.
Only the original explanations of the language, grammar and vocabulary can
be copyrighted. What anyone says or writes would be the original expression
of ideas in that language.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had coined a word to describe a
religious/philosophical system that I thought was a non-standard system for
Klingons; in one little essay I even described it as subversive. (One of the
proposed tenets was that one does not kill others; probably a subversive
idea for a Klingon). The word I coined was in some respects more of a proper
name for this philosophical system, which is why it didn't bother me to make
up that word out of thin air. The system was counter-cultural,
semi-secretive (not widely known among Klingons, as I postulated it), and
the word describing it could be considered a proper name, perhaps.
I can readily grant that such practice is not acceptable because it would
lead to confusion among those who have taken the time to learn the language
as it exists. No one would understand what *QIng'a'* is nor what *QIng*
means unless I were to explain it. Naturally, my purpose would be precisely
to explain it in case some others thought it was an acceptable philosophical
system.
As it turns out, I have a long way to go towards being able to explain these
things in Klingon language. Word coinage is a thing I engage in sparingly;
trying my best to make use of the existing words and seemingly legal
variants: such as *Sov'a'* for wisdom. *Sovqu'* for 'be wise' and
*Sovqu'wI'* for 'wise one' or 'one who is wise.' Actually, except for *QIng*
I've never tried to make up a Klingon word totally from scratch.
Although it might be wise to keep this to myself; here it is anyway.
By the way; I enjoy the puns in the language. I used to own a leSpal, but I
gave it to my brother.
Qapla'
~pagh-le'