tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 16 11:32:24 2007
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Re: RE: mung Hol
Quvar wrote:
>You all now wikipedia... users can indicate their language level, for
>instance english
>
> 0 "This user speaks no english"
pagh DIvI' Hol jatlh lo'wI'vam.
> 1 "This user speaks a little english"
loQ DIvI' Hol jatlh lo'wI'vam.
> 2 "This user speaks advanced english"
DIvI' Hol jatlhqu' lo'wI'vam.
> 3 "This user is a native english speaker"
DIvI' Hol jatlhchu' lo'wI'vam.
>So far this is no problem to translate this to klingon, although nobody is
>a native klingon here, but who cares.
You're right. These are simple to translate with the series {pagh}, {loQ},
{-qu'} and {-chu'}. I don't really see anything wrong with {Sung Hol}:
DIvI' Hol 'oH lo'wI'vam Sung Hol'e'.
This user's native language is English.
OTOH {Sung} has never been used in canon, so we can't say anything about
how it's used.
>But in wikipedia, you can click on the word "english" to see an
>explanation what "english" is. You can also click on "native" to see what
>a "native language" is. Now how you render *THAT* to klingon? That's my
>question. (I still prefer the Hol wa'DIch, as long as we have nothing else.)
I like it too, but one's first language is not necessarily one's native
language (one's "mother tongue" if you prefer: e.g. the language spoken by
you and your immigrant family at home, which may not be the language you
speak "like a native" on the streets in a new country). Presumably
Wikipedia doesn't care about these fine distinctions, but is only
interested in whether you speak the language like a native - i.e. no
grammatical mistakes, perfect fluency WRT idioms and slang, no unusual
choices of words, perfect pronunciation, perfect intonation, no discernible
"foreign" accent - for the benefit of others learning the language. As far
as Klingon is concerned, "like a native" may be the way to go:
tlhIngan Hol jatlhchu' lo'wI'vam; Sung rur.
This user speaks Klingon perfectly; s/he resembles a native.
As a private joke for KLingonists, we could also say {matlh rur} "like
Maltz" - the only "native" (Okrandian) Klingon speaker there is. <g>
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons