tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Sep 20 01:43:04 2004

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Re: Klingon WOTD: qI' (v)

Lieven L. Litaer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol ghojwI']

I wrote:
>> If we stick 100% to canon, it says "sign a treaty".

lay'tel wrote:
> No, it says "sign (a treaty)".

Harrmgrmbl... Klingonists are sometimes such nitpickers - that's why I like 
'em :-)

> The parentheses make all the difference, and are the source of the 
> uncertainty.  Okrand uses parentheses for several different reasons, and 
> there is no way to tell exactly why he used them here.

Yes, but as DloraH pointed out already, MO *usually* uses the parenthesis 
to distinguish the meaning of a word, and here it's clear that {qI'} is 
some act of writing, and not setting a sign.
If it referred to only treaties, he would have said what I miswrote above - 
"sign a treaty".

We must always remember that the words were made for the movies, where they 
sign treaties not emails.
As long as we don't have another word, I will "misuse" this word to sign 
everything I like, because everyone will understand what I mean. (like Duj 
for car is even worse, but understandable)

BTW, in German the word for "sign a treaty" is a different one than signing 
a letter or other documents. In dutch, there is only one word, they use the 
verb for treaties for everything.

Quvar
PS: I don't try to convince anyone in this email, I'm just talking about 
the topic - no offense. ;-)

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