tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Feb 17 13:53:21 2003
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Re: Use of {chugh}
ngabwI' wrote:
>I want to say "If you must speak, speak Klingon." Is it better to say:
>{bIjatlhnISchugh, tlhIngan Hol yIjatlh!}
> or
>{bIjatlhnISchugh, vaj tlhIngan Hol yIjatlh!}
Both are equally grammatical:
"If you must speak, speak Klingon."
"If you must speak, then speak Klingon."
>If I were to say the first, would my point get across? Is the {vaj} required?
Using {vaj} "thus, then, therefore" following {-chugh} "if" is a stylistic
variant, adding a bit more emphasis to the main (i.e. the "then")
clause. E.g.:
bIjeghbe'chugh vaj bIHegh
Surrender or die! TKD
bIje'be'chugh vaj bIHegh
Buy or die! CK
naDev juHlIjDaq cha'logh jISopneSchugh vaj jIquv
It would be an honor to eat twice here at your house, your Honor. PK
qorDu' SaHlu'chugh 'ej matlhlu'chugh vaj wa' tlhIngan ghob potlhqu'
devotion and loyalty to family is one of the most important Klingon
virtues. S13
If you notice, Okrand didn't actually translate it in these.
But there are examples without {vaj}. E.g.:
bI'IQchugh yIvang
If you are sad, act! TKW
Qu' buSHa'chugh SuvwI', batlhHa' vangchugh, qoj matlhHa'chugh, pagh ghaH
SuvwI''e'
If a warrior ignores duty, acts dishonorably, or is disloyal, he is
nothing. TKW
Personally, I think that shorter sentences sound better with {vaj},
especially if you add a slight dramatic pause after it. E.g.
bIjeghbe'chugh, vaj... bIHegh.
Chacun a son gout.
--
Voragh "Damage control is easy. Reading Klingon
- that's
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons hard!" (Montgomery
Scott, STIV)