tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Sep 05 00:31:50 2005

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Re: good news?

QeS lagh ([email protected])



tlhobpu' naHQun, ja':
>I've surfing the web, and I keep hearing about a book called "Good  News 
>for the Warrior Race", but each web-site confuses me even more  about what 
>the book really is.

jang ghunchu'wI', ja':
>I've read a small part of it, and I don't think it's very well done.   I 
>have a similarly low opinion of most Klingon text produced that  long ago, 
>but what I saw of GNFTWR struck me as especially heavy on  near-literal 
>translations of English idioms.

*Warning*: Much of what follows may inflame those who support Glen 
Proechel's version of Klingon. I make no apologies for the points I argue, 
but if I upset anyone by the way in which I do so, I apologise for that in 
advance.

GNFTWR was translated by Glen Proechel; his views and those of the KLI on 
what is and is not canonical are somewhat divergent.

An example that supports ghunchu'wI''s position is the Proechelian word 
*{vengnab} "map". Not only is it a compound noun rather than a noun-noun 
construction as we would use, but {nab} "plan" doesn't mean "architectural 
drawing, floor plan" - it means "intended course of action, planned 
procedure". KGT p. 150: {nab Hutlh 'ach vang} "He lacks a plan (viz. a 
course of action), yet acts". (Admittedly, KGT was brought out some time 
after Proechel's translation IIRC.)

In the Okrandian framework, it's difficult to interpret the word {vengnab} 
(or even the noun-noun construction {veng nab}) in any sensible way at all, 
much less a way that allows one to extract the meaning "map".

Of course, people's opinions of Proechel's position are very different, but 
for my part - and I should make it clear that I speak only for my part -, I 
believe that if you follow the KLI's position on canonical {tlhIngan Hol}, 
Good News for the Warrior Race is likely to do your Klingon more harm than 
good. YMMV.

Savan,

QeS la'
taghwI' pabpo' / Beginners' Grammarian


not nItoj Hemey ngo' juppu' ngo' je
(Old roads and old friends will never deceive you)
     - Ubykh Hol vIttlhegh

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