tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 03 12:35:36 2005
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Re: Robyn 'Qov' Stewart in the news
At 02:08 AM Monday 1/3/2005, James wrote:
One of these days after training I ought to walk over and have a
chat (or a flight?). (What's the Klingon phraseology for "It's a
small world"?
Literally "it's a small world" would be:
qo' mach 'oH.
It is a small world.
but realize that this is more likely to be a reply to:
nuq 'oH?
"What is it?"
e.g. in reply to someone pointing out a smudge on a viewscreen, indicating
one particular sensor reading, etc. The pronoun {'oH} is much more
specific than English "it", and refers to a specific concrete
object. Unlike English, Klingon doesn't use expletives - i.e. a word or
phrase conveying no independent meaning but added to fill out a sentence or
metrical line (e.g. "IT is raining," "IT's cold", "THAT doesn't matter").
In translating English constructions like this, Klingon tends to repeat the
noun on both side of the copula:
qo' mach 'oH qo'vam'e'.
This world is a small world.
(lit. "As for this world, it is a small world.")
For those who want examples from canon, we have:
tajwIj 'oHbe' chorlIj jeqbogh Dochvetlh'e'.
That is not my dagger protruding from your midsection. FTG
("As for that thing protruding from your midsection, it's not my dagger.")
tlhIngan wo' Degh 'oH Deghvam'e'
This marking represents the Klingon Empire. SP1
("As for this symbol, it is the symbol of the Klingon Empire.")
Fortunately, this doesn't sound as awkward in Klingon. Briefer options
include:
mach qo'.
The world is small.
Perhaps best of all for a casual comment is:
qo' mach, qar'a'?
Small world, isn't it?
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons