tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Aug 29 08:03:39 2007
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Re: Dilbert Comic in Klingon for August 20, 2007
po'mIn:
> >> {DIl} may be the verb in the {law'/puS} construction.
> >> {malja' 'ay'Daq bIvummeH qaDIltaH law' vummeH Hoch vIDIltaH puS.}
> >> "In the department I pay for you to work more than I pay for
> >> anyone else to work".
ghunchu'wI':
>The "Q" slot in {A Q law' B Q puS} can be filled by a verb which
>expresses a state or quality, such as {tuj} "be hot" or {SaS} "be
>horizontal". {DIl} "pay for" is not such a verb.
The way to get around this is to use {DIl} in an introductory clause before
the law'/puS formula. We have examples (I've <bracketed> the introductory
phrases):
<jonlu'meH> wo'maj pop tIn law' Hoch tIn puS
Our Empire's highest bounty has been placed on his head. (ST5 notes)
<reH latlh qabDaq> qul tuj law' Hoch tuj puS
The fire is always hotter on someone else's face. PK
<qIbDaq SuvwI''e'> SoH Dun law' Hoch Dun puS
You would be the greatest warrior in the galaxy. ST5
<tlhutlhmeH> HIq ngeb qaq law' bIQ qaq puS
Drinking fake ale is better than drinking water. TKW
<noH ghoblu'DI'> yay quv law' Hoch quv puS
In war there is nothing more honorable than victory. TKW
<tlhIngan wo' yuQmey chovlu'chugh> Qo'noS potlh law' Hoch potlh puS
The principal planet of the Klingon Empire, Qo'noS... S27
or to use {DIl} in relative {-bogh} clause as the first of the two nouns
being compared. E.g.:
<DujvamDaq tlhIngan nuH tu'lu'bogh> pov law' Hoch pov puS 'ej <DujvamDaq
'op SuvwI' tu'lu'bogh> po' law' tlhIngan yo' SuvwI' law' po' puS
It [IKV Pagh] has the best weapons and some of the finest warriors in the
Klingon fleet. S7
("<the Klingon weapons [located] in this ship> are the most excellent of all
and <some of the warriors [located] in this ship> are the most skilled
of all")
Applying this - along with the "prefix trick" - to po'mIn's example we get:
malja' 'ay'vamDaq bIvummeH <Huch qaDIlbogh> tIn law' Hoch tIn puS
"for you to work in this department, <the money I pay you> is the
largest of all"
Voragh:
> >How about just *{vummeH Huch} "money (for the purpose of) working"?
QeS:
>Not a bad suggestion! That seems to work. (And I can't think of why I didn't
>think to use a {-meH}-clause before...)
>
> >Okrand used {tIn} as the quality with {pop}
>
>De'vam cho'angmo' jIbel. Putting all that together,
> {vummeH HuchlIj tIn law' Hoch tIn puS}
> "your salary (lit. "money for working") is the largest".
Since a {-meH} clause can be conjugated, another way to say this is:
<bIvummeH> Huch tIn law' Hoch tIn puS
for you to work, the money is the largest of all
or maybe a combination of both:
<bIvummeH> HuchlIj tIn law' Hoch tIn puS
for you to work, your money is the largest of all
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons