tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 26 06:24:15 2003

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Re: KLBC nuqneH!

Lieven L. Litaer (Quvar) ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol ghojwI']

Greetings, and welcome to the list, ma'Sa!
   My Name is Quvar, I am the current Beginners' Grammarian, my job here is to help out newcomers 
and beginners in learning Klingon.  I correct grammar and provide advice for those trying to learn 
Klingon. If you put KLBC at the beginning of the subject line of a message, it marks it as a beginner 
level topic. This may be a question for me, or just conversation with other beginners in general. KLBC 
is not limited onto to participation by beginners, though! Anyone may contribute. The rule here is that 
the first person allowed to discuss the grammar of a KLBC post is the BG (me). Once I've gotten 
through with it, if there are any corrections or additions you think of, go ahead and post. This system 
keeps the beginner's confusion down to a minimum. If possible, you should also include what you were 
trying to say, in English. This will make it easier for me to make sure that you say what you are trying to 
say.

The three most important web sites to be aware of, if you are not already:

The Klingon Language Institute:
http://www.kli.org

This list's FAQ:
http://www.bigfoot.com/~dspeers/klingon/faq.htm

The recently set up Klingon WikiWikiWeb:
/wiki/

The FAQ will certainly answer many of your first questions, and it provides information about how you 
can learn Klingon and use this mailing list, and the KLBC.  

You wrote:

> nuqneH!

Of course, the first page of TKD tells us this is a klingon "greeting", but it doesn't say that klingons don't 
greet each other. Actually, this is the only know word that can be described as a greeting. 
It means literally "What do you want"?! So you see it's not "hello", but you say it when some 
approaches you.

>ma'Sa 'oH pongwIj'e'. 

maj.

>De'wI' QeD vIHaDlI'. 

maj.

>tlhIngan Hol ghoj vIneH.
If you like to say "I want to learn klingon", you need the appropriate prefix on every verb:

   {tlhIngan Hol vIghoj vIneH.}
   "I want to learn klingon"

This is actually two sentences:
   {tlhIngan Hol vIghoj. vIneH.}
   "I learn klingon. I want it."

>wa'Hu', qatlhobpu' laD rolaD bomwIj. 

Hm. this looks like a literal translation of "I asked you to read", but that doesn't work in Klingon. 
But fortunately, your Klingon is still correct, since you made it look like indirect speech:
   {wa'Hu' Satlhob: <<....>>}

You need to watch the word order described in TKD section 6. 
<<<<
The basic structure of a Klingon sentence is:
    OBJECT--VERB--SUBJECT
>>>>

So what you asked is {bomwIj yIlaD}, but that's not a question, and now I'm not sure if you can use it 
like that.

If you make a request:
   {bomwIj bolaD 'e' vItlhob}
   "I request/ask that you all read my song"

If you ask:
   {Satlhob: bomwIj bolaD'a'?}
   "I ask you all: did you all read my song?"

The above sentences are correct, but I'm not sure we can say
   {jItlhob: bomwIj yIlaD}
   "I request: read my song"

>DaH, pIj tlhobpu' yu'mey vIlaDta' 'ej jISov wej *rolaD bom* mugh, 'ach chaq, Do', 'e' jang vay'.

{yu'} is a verb "question, interrogate", not a noun.
We have no noun for "a question".

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say. Please give an english translation in your next klbc 
messages, so that it's easier to me to correct.

>DaH qaghoS,

You've used the prefix {qa-} very often in this mail, and never {Sa-}, but I think you meant the latter 
since you talk to everyone on the list.

{qa-} "I - you (sg.)"
{Sa-} "I - you all (pl.)"

Feel free to ask questions, analyze other people's messages, and attempt your own. Hope to read you 
soon!

Quvar
Beginners' Grammarian
  ghojwI'pu'wI' vISaH

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