tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 13 13:11:36 2004

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Re: "ser" and "estar" (to be)

Steven Boozer ([email protected])

• From: Steven Boozer <[email protected]>
• Subject: Re: "ser" and "estar" (to be)
• Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 13:18:07 -0600
• In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>

chepqu' asks:

>Klingon pronoun-verbs used for "to be", as I have understood it, mean 
>exactly the same as in English. ...Or, is there a difference? For example, 
>in Spanish, there are two verbs that can be used as a Spanish translation 
>of "to be"; "ser" and "estar". I'm not a Spanish grammarian but a native 
>speaker, and I generally use "estar" with a temporary meaning while "ser" 
>is permanent (can have different meanings than these ones). Is there any 
>difference in Klingon too? or do they (the pronoun-verbs) mean exactly 
>what "to be" means?

TKD p.67:

   There is no verb corresponding to English "to be" in Klingon.
   On the other hand, all pronouns (section 5.1) can be used as
   verbs, in the sense of "I am", "you are", etc.

There is, however, a slight wrinkle when using pronouns to refer to 
location:  you have to say PRONOUN + {-taH} "continuous".  E.g.:

So, to contrast with {jIH}:

   tlhIngan jIH.
   I am a Klingon.

vs.

   naDev jIHtaH.
   I am here.

Some more examples from canon:

   pa'Daq jIHtaH
   I'm in the room. TKD

   pa'wIjDaq jIHtaH
   I am in my quarters. TKD

   pa'DajDaq ghaHtaH la''e'
   The commander is in his quarters. TKD

   jIHtaHbogh naDev vISovbe'
   I'm lost. TKD

   naDev bIHtaH
   Here they are. PK

   loS... qIb HeHDaq, 'u' SepmeyDaq Sovbe'lu'bogh lenglu'meH He
    ghoSlu'bogh retlhDaq 'oHtaH.
   It waits... on the edge of the galaxy, beside a passage to
    unknown regions of the universe. DS99

   pa' 'oHtaH vaS'a''e'.  tlhIngan qum waw' 'oH.
   This is where the Klingon Great Hall is located, the center
   of the Klingon government. S27

Study the last example for the contrast between {'oHtaH} and {'oH}, both 
referring to the same noun.



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons 

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: "ser" and "estar" (to be)
    • From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>

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  • "ser" and "estar" (to be)
    • From: "chepqu'" <[email protected]>

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