tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jan 09 19:41:22 2002

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RE: KLBC - Practicing with Questions



> ghojmoHwI' jIH 'ej qen lenHom vIghaj.    ngugh Dupmey ghellu' vIqel.
> tlheghvam vIqeqta'.    qar'a'?
> I am a teacher and recently had a short recess.  During that time I
> considered strategies for asking a question. I practiced with these
> sentences.  Are they accurate?  ( I may be way out of my league with this
> paragraph - but had to try)

And it's a good thing you did try.  Putting in the effort earns respect and
honor.  You can not improve if you don't practice.  There are errors, but
you do not appear to be out of your league.  You did a good job here.

First, -ta' does work in your sentences, but I get the feeling that maybe
you were using it for past tense.  -ta' (and -pu') does not express past
tense; it implies that the action is completed.
  cha'Hu' tlheD - two days ago he departed.
  cha'Hu' tlheDta' - two days ago he had already left.  It could have been
three days ago, it could have been three years ago.  I don't say.
  cha'leS tlheD - two days from now he will depart.
  cha'leS tlheDta' - two days from now he will have already departed.  Maybe
he left one day from now, maybe he left today, maybe he left a year ago; but
by time two days from now gets here, he won't be here.

>...Dupmey ghellu' vIqel.
You english says "... strategies FOR asking a question."
Dupmey ghellu' - Strategies are asked; one asks strategies.
ghelmeH Dupmey - strategies for the purpose of asking a question.


> 1.   qatlh bIr Dargh?	   chuchmo' bIr Dargh.
> 1.   Why is  the tea cold?  The tea is cold because of the ice.

maj


> 2.   qatlh targh chopta' 'er?        QeHpu'mo' targh chopta'  'er.
> 2.   Why did the 'er bite the targh?  Because it was angry the 'er bit the
> targ .

maj, but see note about -ta'.


> 3.   ghorgh DuSaQDaq tlheD puqloDnI'?    wa'Hu' tlheDta' puqloDwI'.
> 3.   When does your son leave for school?   My son left for school
> yesterday.

-Daq could imply that the departing is taking place at school.
"At school when does he depart?"
I'm guessing for puqloDnI' you ment to write puqloDlI'.
Maybe:  ghorgh DuSaQ ghoSmeH tlheD puqloDlI'?
"For the purpose of going to school, when does your son depart?"

(-ta').


> 4.   De' Dapojta' qar'a'?       ghobe'.  wej Dapojta'.
> 4.   You have analyzed the data, right?   No. I haven't analyzed it yet.

In the second sentence the klingon has Da- but the english has "I" (vI-).


> 5.   tajvaD 'ar Huch DIlta'?   tajvaD SochmaH loS DeQmey DIlta'
> 5.   How much money did he pay her for the knife?  He paid seventy-four
> credits for the knife.

DIl is defined as "pay for".  So this says he is paying for the money.
One way to do this is:
taj DIlmeH  'ar Huch poQlu'?
"How much money does one demand for the purpose of paying for the knife?"
The answer could be stated in the same manner.


> 6.   chay' lupDujHomvam vIpuv?  lupDujHom Dapuvbe'chugh, quS DalItHa'
jay'!
> 6.   How do I fly this shuttlecraft?  If you can't fly the
> shuttlecraft, get out of the #%$@ chair!

puv is intransitive, so to be used here you would need vIpuvmoH.

In the second sentence the klingon (after putting -moH in there) says "If
you do not fly the shuttle..."  The english says "If you CAN'T fly ...", so
you want to add the suffix -laH;  DapuvmeHlaHbe'chugh


> 7.   'arlogh 'o'lav Datlhaw' jay?   wa'logh.
> 7.   How many times are you going to beat that (*&*$#  drum?   One time.

maj


You did a good job.  Only minor errors, such that you would still have been
understood.


DloraH, BG



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