tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Apr 10 08:10:51 2013
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Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Not capitalizing proper nouns
SuStel:
>>> We don't know that. We know next to nothing about how Klingons actually
>>> write. They don't seem to have any verbal grammar for proper nouns, but
>>> we
>>> don't know much about the writing system.
De'vID:
>> Actually, when we've seen Klingon names written in pIqaD(qoq) on
>> screen, it seems to me (and I may very well be imagining things) that
>> quite often the letters (glyphs or symbols or whatever) have been
>> "melded" together. You see this on banners, clothing (sashes or
>> gauntlets), and weapons. "Regular" Klingon words seem to have the
>> letters written clearly separately.
SuStel:
> Really? This is new to me. Can you point out some examples of Okudian text
> where we know for sure that a proper noun is being represented?
No, because Okudian text was primarily made for decorative purposes
rather than to express meaning. We don't know what's what in Okudian
text, but I think many people assume that the text on things like
banners carried and sashes worn by Klingons are the names of people or
houses, where that would be appropriate in context (that is, as
opposed to text on computer terminals or painted on ship walls, which
are utilitarian).
At least, when I've met cosplay Klingons, they've put their house
names on their sashes and gauntlets and weapons and banners in
locations where we see Klingon text on the
clothing/accessories/equipment of TV/movie Klingons. It's an
assumption that the TV/movie Klingons have proper nouns in those
places, but I think not an unreasonable one.
However, there may very well be another reason for the letters to be
"joined" on clothing, and that is simply durability. It's sort of like
how the "hole" in the letter "e" is joined in a stencil. So maybe we
can't infer anything from the fact that we see joined letters in
Klingon in places where one would expect proper names to appear. Or
maybe it's a fancy font used for ceremonial purposes.
I did a search of images of Klingon costumes to look for that
particular style of joined writing. I noticed one interesting thing
that I hadn't before, and that is that all of the Klingon gauntlets
have the same two or maybe three words on them. Maybe they say "left"
and "right"? :-) But I noticed that they don't always wear the same
word on the same side, and sometimes they have the same word on both
sides. Maybe they say "honour" and "duty" or something. (Of course
they don't actually say anything meaningful IRL, but we can speculate
as to what they say in-universe.) I'd assumed before now that the text
was somehow related to the wearer's house or family.
Vixis' gauntlet:
http://trekcore.com/specials/rare/sulu_chekov_klingon_stv.jpg
Lursa and B'Etor's gauntlets:
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/contimission/lursa-betor.jpg
Advocate Worf (TNG Worf's grandfather):
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/artoftrek/worf-advocate-st6.jpg
Chang, Gorkon, and ST:VI Klingons:
http://wrathofdhanprops.blogspot.ch/2012/11/klingons.html
http://www.therpf.com/f24/general-changs-baldric-75795/
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/artoftrek/gorkon-st6.jpg
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/artoftrek/chang1.jpg (note
the head rest of his chair, and the symbol on his upper chest)
Gorkon's "Chain of Office" (if this works like on Earth, then the
letters are perhaps titles of the Chancellor, or names of
people/houses who have sworn loyalty to him):
http://www.roddenberry.com/star-trek-wardrobe-costumes/star-trek-uniform-accessories-costumes/stvi-klingon-chain-of-office.html#
House of Duras dagger from TNG "Firstborn":
http://tng.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/s7/7x21/firstborn332.jpg
When we see regular Klingon text, it's usually the standard pIqaD(qoq)
letters. When we see symbols which we expect to represent proper
nouns, they deviate from the standard letters (but still look like
them somehow) and sometimes appear joined up. Like I said, I may be
imagining things, or reading too much into set design choices which
have nothing to do with proper nouns, but the impression I got from
watching the shows and movies is that when proper nouns are written in
Klingon they use special characters or a different style of writing.
--
De'vID
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