tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jan 08 12:51:03 2004

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Re: more questions on translating words

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

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

Holtej:
> >> We don't have a word glossed as "forever."  "Alwasy" is {taH}.
> >
> > Always is {reH}.
> > DoqDaq qul yIchenmoH QobDI' ghu'.

 From SuStel:
>I believe we have a line in Power Klingon:
>
>   reH 'uQvam vIqawtaH
>   I will remember this dinner forever.
>
>I suspect that Klingon is one of those languages weQqul mentions without a
>clear distinction between "always" and "forever."


More examples:

   batlh maHeghbej 'ej yo' qIjDaq vavpu'ma' DImuv.
   pa' reH maSuvtaHqu'.
   mamevQo'.  maSuvtaH.  ma'ov.
   Then we die with honor and join our fathers in the Black Fleet where
   we battle forever, battling on through the Eternal fight.  [Anthem]

Note the use of the adverbial {reH} "always, forever, constantly" together 
with the Type 7 aspect suffix {-taH} "continuous" in {pa' reH maSuvtaHqu'} 
to reinforce the idea of never-ending battle (a good thing to Klingons).

   reH tlhIngan wo' taHjaj!
   May the Klingon Empire continue forever! [PK]

I.e. "Long live the Klingon Empire!"

   reH tlhInganpu' taHjaj!
   Klingons forever! [PK]

For weQqul:  In these last two, {taH} is the verb "continue" not the verb 
suffix {-taH} "continuous".



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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