tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Oct 17 22:28:35 2001

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Re: KLBC: Limmerick vIqonta'



From: "TPO" <[email protected]>
> > In English one can be liberal with word order for the
> > sake of meter and rhyme.  Is Klingon stricter in this
> > respect?
>
> OVS
>
> The only exception are some toasts that have maintained an ancient
> structure.


This is incorrect.  There is at least one known ungrammatical bit of song:

yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI'  /  Say'moHchu' may' 'Iw.
(from /Qoy qeylIS puqloD/, also known as /SuvwI' van bom/)

The line SHOULD read /yoHbogh SuvwI' 'ej matlhbogh Say'moHchu' may' 'Iw/
("The blood of battle washes clean the warrior brave and true").  You can't
join two verbs with /je/.  But this doesn't fit in with the song's meter.

There are other liberties known to be taken by poets, such as using the
/-mey/ noun suffix on body parts (TKD p. 23).  We know that "with rare
exception, the libretto of a Klingon opera (/bom mu'/ the words) is in an
ancient tongue heard now only in the operas and certain classic theatrical
works."  (KGT p. 73)  See also the section on Intentional Ungrammaticality
in KGT pp. 176-181.  As recommended in TKD, "until the subtle nuances of
such constructions are firmly grasped . . . , it is suggested that students
of Klingon stick to the rules."  (p. 23)

Clearly, Klingon song and poetry doesn't follow the standard rules of the
language presented in TKD.  However, we can't be sure what would be
acceptable to a Klingon.  If you feel the need to change the rules to suit
your poetry, be prepared to meet resistance when people don't get it or
don't like it.  I suggest you don't use ungrammatical constructions unless
you're absolutely convinced that you've got a beautiful, perfect, and
meaningful one to use.

SuStel
Stardate 1796.4

P.S.: I think it's quite possible that the ungrammatical line in /Qoy qeylIS
puqloD/ was written without fully realizing that it was wrong.  Whatever the
real-world explanation, it's set in stone now.


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