tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 12 20:27:40 2002

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RE: words for edit image

 > And I thought that if one word meant something in one language and another
 > word meant something similar in another language that you could use the
 > words to express the meaning.

That is a terrific statement to have made.  Most people make that 
assumption and don't even realize it.

Grab an atlas. Here is a metaphor.  A state or province is a word and any 
state or province it borders is a possible translation of that word.

Now look at the border between the United States and Canada.  Washington 
state borders British Columbia.  Does that mean that anywhere that I cross 
the southern border of BC, I'll be in Washington?  That BC always 
"translates" as Washington? No.  BC extends further east than Washington, 
so it's possible to cross south from BC into Idaho or Montana.  Okay, so 
that means that BC can be translated as WA, ID or Montana, and that WA, ID 
and MT all translate as BC?  Well no, because part of Montana borders 
Saskatchewan.  Not to mention that BC borders the Yukon, and Alaska.  The 
borders don't all line up neatly.  And Montana also borders Wyoming.

Some Klingon have a tiny border against a huge English word.  nagh beQ has 
a meaning that corresponds to a very small part of the meaning of 
"picture."  The English word "blue" corresponds to a small part of the 
range represented by SuD.

Some words meet quite neatly, like Utah and Arizona.  mother=SoS pretty 
much  neatly. But there may be another unrelated meaning of SoS, and you 
couldn't use SoS in a translation of "mother of pearl"  (the shiny part of 
the inside of a shellfish shell).

So instead of looking at the Klingon word with its English translation, 
look at the Klingon word and it's MEANING.

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