tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jan 08 11:43:21 2004

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Re: more questions on translating words

d'Armond Speers, Ph.D. ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

[email protected] wrote:
> ok. i need to know how to say a few more things I am having problems
> with. this may not be easy and there may be no translation for some
> of it. how would you say:
> i am (this or that object)

In general, the verb "to be" is expressed with pronouns in Klingon (see TKD
6.3 when you get it).  To say "PRO is X", it would be:

X PRO

where X is a noun and PRO is the appropriate pronoun.  To say "X is a Y":

Y PRO X'e'

again, where X and Y are nouns.  Don't forget the {-'e'} on the subject X.

>  this wont make sense to anyone so i will give the complete sentence
> in urdu main tumhari kanhay ki kasam hum...meaning 'I am your only
> promise.'

The difficulty is that there is no noun "promise" in Klingon, so you can't
use the formula shown above.  The verb "to promise" is {lay'}.  Someone more
skilled at poetic translation will have to offer advice here.

> is there a difference in the words always and forever? in some
> languages there is a difference and in others there is not one.

We don't have a word glossed as "forever."  "Alwasy" is {taH}.

> leave, as in go away from

{tlheD} "depart"
{mej} "leave, depart"

Don't know that we have any clear description of the difference between
these two terms.  We do have an example of {mej} in use:

TKW p. 79
{bImejDI' reH betleHlIj yItlhap}
Never leave without your bet'telh

> stay

{ratlh} "remain"

> wait, as in don't wait for me

{loS} "wait"

{jIHvaD yIloSQo'} (if speaking to one person)
{jIHvaD peloSQo'} (if speaking to more than one person)
{HIloSQo'} (speaking to one or more than one person)
"Don't wait for me."

> how would you say 'will be', as in future tense? ex: this will take
> place or this will happen

There is no future tense (or past tense) in Klingon.  Context establishes
tense.

> what is the word for 'if' and can anyone give me examples of these
> words used in a sentece, please?

"If" is signaled with the Type 9 verb suffix {-chugh}.

{jIloSchugh} "if I wait"
{bItlheDchugh} "if you leave"

"If you leave while I am waiting I will always be your enemy."
{bItlheDchugh jIloStaHvIS reH jaghlI' jIH}

> weQqul
> HovpoH 701015.5

--Holtej
HovpoH 4021.1

(When I said earlier that you were having trouble with time, I was poking
fun at the fact that you were asking about the word for "time," while your
stardate changed rather dramatically.)

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