tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Nov 15 08:44:35 2007

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Re: vIghro'vetlh

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



mI'qey:
> >> "vay' Dalajqang pagh Dalajqangbe' 'e' vIloy 'e' vInIDDI',
> >> Qatlhqu' 'e' vItu'."
> >
> >>   2) are there better ways to express "whether"?

Voragh:
> >In all the discussion, I think we've overlooked your second question.
> >
> >I assume you're trying to translate "whether or not you're willing to
> >accept something".  AFAIK Okrand has never translated a sentence with
> >"whether", but why not use {-chugh}?
> >
> >   vay' Dalajqangchugh  'e' vIloy...
> >   I guess (that) if you're willing to accept something...

mI'qey:
>I didn't think of that.  Thanks.  That certainly alleviates some of the 
>wordiness of my version.
>
>Obviously the phrase "...whether or not you're willing to accept 
>something" isn't in the original
>quotation I was trying to translate.  It was my effort to rephrase "what 
>you will find acceptable"
>into something I was comfortable trying to put into Klingon.  A poor 
>attempt, I now think.

One way to translate this type of sentence is to use {ngu'} "identify":

   Similarly, if a Klingon wants to know something, he or she may
   simply demand that the information be given. For example, a common
   way to say "Which weapon do you want?" is not as a question at all
   but instead as a command:  {nuH DaneHbogh yIngu'!} (literally,
   "Identify the weapon that you want!")" (KGT 105)

   jar DamaSqu'bogh yIngu'
   What/which is your favorite month?
   ("Identify the month that you very much prefer!") (st.klingon)

   Daq DaDabbogh yIngu'
   Identify the place where you live! (i.e. Where do you live?)
   ["Perhaps a translation such as 'Identify the place that you live at'
    or 'Identify the place that you inhabit' is more revealing."] (st.k 7/99)

Other options include {wIv} "choose", {ja'} "tell, report" and perhaps 
{per} "label" and {pong} "name".

>"...if you're willing to accept something" is much better.
>
>Also, depending on how {loy} works, perhaps this:

Unfortunately, we have no canon examples of {loy}.  It might work like 
{noH} "judge, estimate" for which we have one example which tells us it's 
transitive:

   chorghSaD qelI'qam HIvchuq'e' vInoH
   Estimating attack range in 8,000 kellicams. ST5 (discussed in HQ 8.4:12)

>    vay''e' Dalajqangbogh vIloy ...
>    I guess something that you're willing to accept

If there's no other noun in the sentence to confuse the listener, you can 
safely omit {-'e'}.



--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons






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