tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Sep 13 06:40:53 2010
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RE: jISIv
- From: Felix Malmenbeck <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: jISIv
- Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:39:21 +0000
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- In-reply-to: <[email protected]>
- References: <[email protected]>
- Thread-index: AQHLUz7XZ9B5EXXSY0e6MoaRlWWWtZMP5EzA
- Thread-topic: jISIv
How about...: jIpaS. 'arlogh Qoyqa'lu' jIpawpa'? (I will be late. How many times will it be heard again before I arrive?)
'arlogh Qoylu'pu' is a common way of saying "What time is it?", so I figure 'arlogh Qoyqa'lu' may be a way of asking "How much more time will pass?" Of course, that's modifying an idiomatic expression, and is as such quite risky.
You might also try:
jIpaS. ghorgh pum ('etlh)? (I will be late. When will it (the sword) fall?)
pumDI' ('etlh) is an idiomatic way of saying "by that time" (you can also switch the 'etlh for something else which you find more appropriate), so this would in some sense be "I will be late. When will it happen?"
Again, though, this is playing with idioms, so it may not hold up in a formal discussion. In fact, the idiom is based on an archaic use of -DI' (which used to mean "by that time", rather than "as soon as"), so taking pum out of this expression is neglecting its origin. It might do as wordplay, however (similar to the way Humans sometimes base new expressions on misunderstandings of old ones, or abuse homophony for humor).
You could also mix the perverted idioms:
jIpaS. pumDI' 'etlh 'arlogh Qoyqa'lu'. (I will be late. How many times will it be heard again when the sword falls?)
jIpaS. pumDI' 'arlogh vIQoyqa' jay'. (I will be late. How many bloody times will I hear it by the time it falls!?)
You might also be able to do something with a -ghach-construction to ask about how great your lateness will be. I can't think of any good examples at this time, however.
Sincerely,
Felix Malmenbeck
Wanted on Qo'noS for linguistic perversion
________________________________________
From: [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of lojmIt tI'wI' nuv [[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 14:12
To: [email protected]
Subject: jISIv
Today, I thought I might be late. I said to myself, "How late will I be?"
I considered how I would say that in Klingon.
I rejected {'ar jIpaS} because, though an English speaker would understand it, grammatically, I've only seen {'ar} used adjectivally, not adverbially. It might make sense as {tup 'ar jIpaS}, though that is, itself, an odd grammatical construction, as would be {tup 'ar vIpaS}. One has no grammatical connection between {tup} and the verb. The other uses an adjectival verb transitively, and Okrand generally tends not to do that. I could even stretch it to {qaSpu'mo' tup 'ar jIpaS?} It's a little awkward, but it carries the meaning clearly enough.
So, I thought the best way might be simply to say, {tugh jIpaSqu' 'e' vISIv}.
Feedback? Other suggestions?
pItlh.
lojmIt tI'wI' nuv