tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Mar 26 13:17:20 2002
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Re: I'm the newbie
- From: [email protected]
- Subject: Re: I'm the newbie
- Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 18:17:15 GMT
> Hello, everyone!
>
> First let me introduce myself: I'm a 24 yr old student of physics. I'm
> married for 4 yrs now and I live in good ole Germany together with my
> wife.
In response, I'm a 47 year old computer systems engineer. I'm married three
weeks now and I live in good ole USA with my wife and her teenaged daughter,
right down the street from her two older sons.
> I have been studying Klingon before but without much success.
I've been studying Klingon for almost a decade. My success still varies from
one day to the next.
> Some
> weeks before my interest has relighted and this can be thought of as my
> second attempt to get the whole thing up and running!
Good luck. You'll be hearing from the Beginner's Grammarian soon. I was a BG
many years ago, but the current BG is the one who will likely give you the best
attention and advice. Take anyone else's opinion (including mine) with a grain
of salt. yIvoq 'ach yI'ol. ["Trust, but verify."]
> You might kindly notice that English is a second language for me, so
> don't be too strict with me if I make any errors - although any kind of
> correction is deeply appreciated.
Your writing does not reveal any German accent.
> As my first posting I would like to take that discussion about the usage
> of more than one -be' or -'e' with one word.
> Anyone who has studies Latin will know the stylistic tool of the double
> negation. It is not so prominent in English I believe. The double
> negation normaly will be interpreted as a stronger form of saying yes:
>
> jIQoch - I agree
> jIQoch'be - I disagree
> jiQoch'be'be could be a respond to the someone saying:"Well, I have the
> feeling you disagree!"
> One would respond: "No, no, I don't disagree" which is stronger that
> just saying "I agree".
I'll suggest that there might be a cultural issue here at play that you may not
be aware of. Assume for the sake of argument that I am a Klingon. You say to
me, "Well, I have the feeling you disagree."
I am less inclined to say, {jIQochbe'be'} than I am to say, {verengan
Ha'DIbaH!} and head-butt you until you are either senseless, or you accept that
your opinion is wrong, whichever comes first. I then turn to all others in the
room and say, {jIQochbe' 'e' Hon'a' latlh?} ["Does anyone else doubt that I
agree?"]
Some would shorten that last statement to a simple:
veb? ["Next?"]
This is, of course, a clipped version of {veblu''a'?} ["Is anyone next?"]
None of this is to say with any authority whether or not your {jIQochbe'be'} is
acceptable. I'm merely suggesting that if you really want to show emphasis,
never underestimate the use of physical violence as a grammatical tool in the
Klingon language.
> Hope to have a great time with all of you!
And with you.
> Alex
Will