tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 26 16:17:37 2004

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: KLBC - to be

Scott Willis ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel Abraham" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 4:49 PM
Subject: KLBC - to be

> bIjaj:
> But does that apply to all suffixes, if necessary? For example (the noun
> {jav} comes to mind...): is there a better translation than {mI'
jIHbe'qu'}
> to "I am NOT a number!" ?

In Conversational Klingon, one of the useful phrases toward the end of the
tape is {tlhIngan jIHbe'!} "I am not a Klingon!"
So using other suffixes on pronouns is just fine.
About {jav}: This is the part I'm confused about. {jav} can be the number
six or a slang term for "prisoner". Do you want to say that you are not a
prisoner, or that you, yourself, are not the number six? Or that you are not
merely a number that's been assigned to you?

> bIjaj:
> And generally speaking, what is the preferable practice - using Klingon
> verbs that approximate the meaning of such English sentences, or
translating
> them as literally as possible? (more philosophical than practical, I
guess)

You lost me again... When translating idioms, try to capture the actual
meaning in the translation. When translating "plain language", recast it to
a form more easily translated. I you wanted to say "She has too much
impatience", the worst translation you could arrive at is {boHtaHghach 'Iq
ghaj.} Recast, and you will probably arrived at "She is overly impatient"
{tlhoy boH}. Shorter, more to the point, a better translation.
Is that what you're asking?

--ngabwI'
Beginners' Grammarian,
Klingon Language Institute
http://kli.org/
HovpoH 701090.6

Back to archive top level