tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Mar 10 09:12:28 2004

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RE: Welsh National Anthem (KLBC?)

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

Perry wrote:
> > And if someone could help me with the line I was having trouble with,
> > namely:
> >
> >      While sea is a wall to the pure, dear country, (English)
> >      Tra mor yn fur i'r bur hoff bau, (Welsh)
> >
> > I'd appreciate it.  Also if anyone knows Welsh well enough to comment or
> > steer me where the English should be changed, please do so!

A late suggestion:

Instead of using {puH} "land" throughout your translation, use {Sep} 
"region, country" instead.  Okrand talks a little about Klingon geography 
in KGT:

"The Klingon Homeworld {Qo'noS}, usually rendered Kronos in Federation 
Standard, is a planet with basically one very large mass of land surrounded 
by ocean; perhaps continent is a comparable concept. Within the land mass 
are distinct areas, some of which are demarcated geographically (divided by 
a mountain range, for example), while the boundaries of others seem rather 
arbitrary, the result, no doubt, of ancient power struggles. A specific 
area whose borders are definable, by whatever means, is normally called a 
{Sep}, commonly translated as "region", though, since the regions were 
politically distinct in the past, "country" might have at one time been 
just as appropriate a translation. An identifiable area within a {Sep} is a 
{yoS} ("area, district"), and a {yoS} usually contains at least one 
important {veng} ("city"); though sometimes, especially in the more rugged 
parts of a planet, there may be only a small settlement or {vengHom} 
["village"]). This terminology is also used when describing other planets 
within the Empire." (KGT 16f)

N.B.:  "... the regions were politically distinct in the past".

How {puH} "land" is used in Klingon is unclear, as there are no 
examples.  However, the English word "land" does appear in KGT:

"Some houses are particularly wealthy, controlling vast lands by means of 
armed forces loyal to the particular house." (KGT 36)

"If the High Council determines an action to be dishonorable, not only may 
it remove the leader of a house from the Council itself, it may also seize 
the house's lands, forces, and other holdings." (KGT 37-38)

Is {puH} used to refer to land owned by a House or private person?  We 
don't know.

To further confuse things, we also have {Hatlh} "country(side)" and {yotlh} 
"field [i.e. of land]" which must be kept from distinct from {lam} "dirt", 
{yav} "ground [i.e. the land under your feet]" and {ghor} "surface (of 
planet)" [on which you {Saq} or "land (a ship)"].



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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