tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 22 08:39:23 2005

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Re: Correct/canon usage of numbers

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



Quvar:
>whatever you call it,

Okrand calls them "ordinal numbers" in TKD (p. 54) and the more extensive 
discussion in KGT (p. 176f.).

>MO once explained that {qep'a' wejDIch} is used as a name, an event, 
>that's why you can add {-Daq} to it.
>
>   {qep'a' wejDIch}Daq
>   at "the third qep'a'"

This has been confirmed?  Do you remember where?  SuStel always thought 
that was the case:

   "... in answering my letter about {qep'a' wejDIch}, Marc Okrand
   used the phrase {qep'a' wejDIchDaq}. Now,it could be considered
   just a [proper] name, but it may also be possible that noun
   suffixes can go to the ordinal number."

Here's the full post we're talking about from STAR TREK: CONTINUUM Expert 
Forum (later renamed startrek.klingon):

   Sustel --
   jabbI'IDlIj vIlaDpu'.  qep'a' wejDIchDaq jatlhtaH tlhIngan
   Hol HaDwI'pu'.  ghoHtaH je.  tIv'eghtaH je.  vaj SuquvmoH.
   naDev bIQumqa' 'e' vItul.
   Qapla!

If this is so, then we can make subtle distinctions.  E.g.:

   vengDaq wa'DIch
   in the first city (one of several cities being discussed)

   <<veng wa'DIch>>Daq
   in (the) First City (the Klingon capital city)

or

   Qo'noSDaq wa' ghoqwI' neH tu'lu'.
   There's only one spy on Kronos (the planet)

   <<Qo'noS wa'>>Daq ghoqwI' tu'lu'.
   There's a spy aboard "Kronos One" (the chancellor's flagship)

This last form is, in fact, heard in ST6 during Chang's opening statement 
in Kirk's trial:

   Qo'noS wa'Daq baHta' ['entepray']
   "Enterprise fired on Kronos One..."



--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons






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