tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun May 20 18:22:23 2001
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marshmallows (was Re: When writing Klingon fiction...)
- From: Alan Anderson <[email protected]>
- Subject: marshmallows (was Re: When writing Klingon fiction...)
- Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 16:09:16 -0500
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
ja' ro'Han:
>Further to *marshmallows*: wouldn't "sweet white spheres" (as far as I know,
>Klingon has no word for sugar) be enough,
Is "sweet white spheres" enough in English? I don't think so. The name
"marshmallow" has a specific enough meaning, both literally and culturally,
that I think the name itself is important. Consider the "unwieldy"
explanation you must give in English to someone who doesn't know what a
marshmallow is, and stop complaining that it's no easier in Klingon. :)
Coming up with a way to say it in a "Klingon accent" is a tricky enough
proposition that I'm not even going to try. When I talk about burritos in
English, I use the Spanish word "burrito". When I talk about marshmallows
in Klingon, I'll be using the English word "marshmallow".
>moQmey na'ran rur 'ej chIS
Are you trying to use {na'ran rur} adjectivally, as if it meant "be sweet"?
That doesn't work. The thing you're describing has to be the subject of
the verb {rur}.
>I find it *very* interesting that Klingon has a word for saccharin
><<Haqchor>> but not for sugar.
{HaQchor} -- note the capital {Q} -- has a completely different chemical
makeup from sugars; it's almost a coincidence that it tastes sweet to
people. We know Klingons place different values on taste than do other
cultures; {tlhorgh} to a Klingon is best translated "pungent", but
non-Klingons would often say "rank". Perhaps refined sugar doesn't have a
noteworthy taste and thus doesn't deserve any sort of common name.
-- ghunchu'wI' 'utlh