tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jun 07 21:28:39 2013

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Re: [Tlhingan-hol] "Kindness is Magic"

Rohan Fenwick ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'>tlhobpu' De'vID, jatlh:<br>&gt; How would you translate this phrase, from Ricky Gervais' show "Derek"?<br><br>I wouldn't - not without some supporting context, at least. More specifically, since we lack lexemes for both concepts, the original context is instructive here:<br><br>"<span class="st">She said 'Kindness is magic, Derek. It's more important to be kind than clever or good looking.'"</span><br><br>The general sentiment would be well captured as {nIv batlh} "honour is best". As in, {batlh potlh law' Sov parmaq je potlh puS} "honour is more important than knowledge or romance". I think a Klingon would consider acting honourably towards someone to be the kindest way of treating them.<br><span><br>jang Alex, jatlh:<br></span>&gt; {qa' HoS ghajlu'ghach 'oH vaQHa'lu'ghach'e'} perhaps?<br>&gt; If it grates, it's the concepts that are grating, not the grammar.<br><br>There's one grammar point that I do find grating here: the use of {-lu'} with {-ghach}. {-ghach} nouns don't generally take subjects or objects anyway, so it seems to me that the sole purpose for {-lu'} being there is to dodge the markedness of {-ghach} on a bare verb root.<br><br>QeS<br> 		 	   		  </div></body>
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