[102303] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Expressing gratitude
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robyn Stewart)
Fri Nov 13 11:46:51 2015
From: "Robyn Stewart" <robyn@flyingstart.ca>
To: "'tlhIngan Hol mailing list'" <tlhingan-hol@kli.org>
In-Reply-To: <CAP7F2c+nprqPbwBjzYXDkKad+HsikiOE=5ZyyNFrG5YWgMvgzw@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2015 08:46:34 -0800
Errors-To: tlhingan-hol-bounces@kli.org
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I was holding back on this because I thought it should be treated as =
KLBC, but it looks as though =E2=80=98arHa has enough on his plate, but =
a couple of people have answered and it is the sort of question that =
merits multiple answers. Mine is long and silly, but it starts with a =
shot version:
=20
In this, as in many situations, the correct answer to =E2=80=9Cwhat =
would a Klingon say in place of ____=E2=80=9D is =
=E2=80=9CNOTHING.=E2=80=9D =20
=20
For the long version, in place of telling you what Klingons say, =
I=E2=80=99m going to provide a passage for would-be Klingon spies, those =
who want to blend in around Terrans.=20
=20
You already know that that unless in extremis, Terrans begin and end =
conversations with phatic speech unlike anything in tlhIngan Hol, but =
this is not the end of their verbal ritual.
=20
It is a cultural practice amongst many humans to accompany requests with =
a hedging word or phrase to indicate that the request is not a mandatory =
order. In English =E2=80=9Cif it so pleases you=E2=80=9D is usually =
abbreviated to =E2=80=9Cplease=E2=80=9D but the French still use the =
whole phrase s=E2=80=99il vous plait. So important is this hedging of =
requests that even for requests that are someone mandatory, e.g. from a =
boss to a subordinate, not only is the hedging phrase employed, but the =
grammar of the sentence will be twisted to avoid the imperative mood. =
=E2=80=9CIf you would unpack these boxes before you go,=E2=80=9D =
=E2=80=9CCould you please clean the front windows,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CWhy =
don=E2=80=99t you go ahead and ship this to headquarters,=E2=80=9D =
=E2=80=9CYou need to redo this with Canadian spellings.=E2=80=9D So =
reviled is the simple, clear imperative in English that its use is =
almost synonymous with rudeness or dire emergency. It is acceptable to =
say =E2=80=9CHelp me=E2=80=9D only if death or injury is at stake. =
Phrase all other requests for assistance as obliquely as possible.
=20
It=E2=80=99s so important to humans that requests not be regarded as =
rude or obligatory=E2=80=94even when they are=E2=80=94that they have =
more words to say after any kind of act is performed on our behalf: =
opening a door, giving the current time, fulfilling one=E2=80=99s part =
in an ordinary commercial transaction, admiring one=E2=80=99s weapons, =
or moving slightly out of the way so we can pass (oh and they even have =
a special phrase purely for hedging the command =E2=80=9Cmove out of my =
way=E2=80=9D). Although the words =E2=80=9Cthank you=E2=80=9D can be =
roughly translated as qatlho=E2=80=99 or Satlho=E2=80=99, for the human =
they do not convey any type of obligation nor indicate that the person =
is about to convey any kind of actual thanks. It is simply a verbal =
ritual. Indeed in many dialects of Federation standard it is close to =
obligatory for the person who is thanked to respond with a phrase such =
as =E2=80=9Cyou=E2=80=99re welcome=E2=80=9D that indicates that the =
thanks was unnecessary.
=20
Odd and obstructionist as they may seem, failure to employ these =
conversational tactics results in the speaker being perceived as rude, =
and even suspicious. Memorize the phrases and learn to employ them as a =
reflex in any social situation. You literally cannot overuse them. =
Terrans themselves occasionally catch themselves using them in =
situations that even they realize are ridiculous to express thanks. They =
then resort to the expression =E2=80=9Csorry.=E2=80=9D This will be =
covered in next week=E2=80=99s lecture. Those of you to be stationed in =
Canada, =E2=80=9Cplease be sure to take particular care to attend. =
=E2=80=9C (Recall: that would be the proper Terran way to say {peSaH}.)
=20
- Qov
=20
From: qunnoQ HoD [mailto:mihkoun@gmail.com]=20
Sent: November 13, 2015 5:55
To: tlhIngan Hol mailing list
Subject: [Tlhingan-hol] Expressing gratitude
=20
I recently read that klingons do not say "thank you". So I wonder.. What =
does a Klingon say to express gratitude ?
What would he/she say in the place of "thank you" ?
cpt qunnoQ
=20
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vlink=3Dpurple><div class=3DWordSection1><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>I was holding back on this because I thought it should be treated as =
KLBC, but it looks as though =E2=80=98arHa has enough on his plate, but =
a couple of people have answered and it is the sort of question that =
merits multiple answers. Mine is long and silly, but it starts with a =
shot version:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>In this, as in many situations, the correct answer to =E2=80=9Cwhat =
would a Klingon say in place of ____=E2=80=9D is =
=E2=80=9CNOTHING.=E2=80=9D=C2=A0 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>For the long version, in place of telling you what Klingons say, =
I=E2=80=99m going to provide a passage for would-be Klingon spies, those =
who want to blend in around Terrans. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>You already know that that unless <i>in extremis</i>, Terrans begin =
and end conversations with phatic speech unlike anything in tlhIngan =
Hol, but this is not the end of their verbal =
ritual.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>It is a cultural practice amongst many humans to accompany requests =
with a hedging word or phrase to indicate that the request is not a =
mandatory order. In English =E2=80=9Cif it so pleases you=E2=80=9D is =
usually abbreviated to =E2=80=9Cplease=E2=80=9D but the French still use =
the whole phrase s=E2=80=99il vous plait. So important is this hedging =
of requests that even for requests that are someone mandatory, e.g. from =
a boss to a subordinate, not only is the hedging phrase employed, but =
the grammar of the sentence will be twisted to avoid the imperative =
mood. =E2=80=9CIf you would unpack these boxes before you =
go,=E2=80=9D=C2=A0 =E2=80=9CCould you please clean the front =
windows,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CWhy don=E2=80=99t you go ahead and ship this =
to headquarters,=E2=80=9D =C2=A0=E2=80=9CYou need to redo this with =
Canadian spellings.=E2=80=9D So reviled is the simple, clear imperative =
in English that its use is almost synonymous with rudeness or dire =
emergency. It is acceptable to say =E2=80=9CHelp me=E2=80=9D only if =
death or injury is at stake. =C2=A0Phrase all other requests for =
assistance as obliquely as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>It=E2=80=99s so important to humans that requests not be regarded as =
rude or obligatory=E2=80=94even when they are=E2=80=94that they have =
more words to say after any kind of act is performed on our behalf: =
opening a door, giving the current time, fulfilling one=E2=80=99s part =
in an ordinary commercial transaction, admiring one=E2=80=99s weapons, =
or moving slightly out of the way so we can pass (oh and they even have =
a special phrase purely for hedging the command =E2=80=9Cmove out of my =
way=E2=80=9D). =C2=A0Although the words =E2=80=9Cthank you=E2=80=9D can =
be roughly translated as qatlho=E2=80=99 or Satlho=E2=80=99, for the =
human they do not convey any type of obligation nor indicate that the =
person is about to convey any kind of actual thanks. It is simply a =
verbal ritual. Indeed in many dialects of Federation standard it is =
close to obligatory for the person who is thanked to respond with a =
phrase such as =E2=80=9Cyou=E2=80=99re welcome=E2=80=9D that indicates =
that the thanks was unnecessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>Odd and obstructionist as they may seem, failure to employ these =
conversational tactics results in the speaker being perceived as rude, =
and even suspicious. Memorize the phrases and learn to employ them as a =
reflex in any social situation. You literally cannot overuse them.=C2=A0 =
Terrans themselves occasionally catch themselves using them in =
situations that even they realize are ridiculous to express thanks. They =
then resort to the expression =E2=80=9Csorry.=E2=80=9D=C2=A0 This will =
be covered in next week=E2=80=99s lecture. Those of you to be stationed =
in Canada, =E2=80=9Cplease be sure to take particular care to attend. =
=E2=80=9C=C2=A0 (Recall: that would be the proper Terran way to say =
{peSaH}.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>- Qov<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><b><span =
lang=3DEN-US =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span>=
</b><span lang=3DEN-US =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> qunnoQ HoD =
[mailto:mihkoun@gmail.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> November 13, 2015 =
5:55<br><b>To:</b> tlhIngan Hol mailing list<br><b>Subject:</b> =
[Tlhingan-hol] Expressing gratitude<o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt'>I recently read that klingons do not say =
"thank you". So I wonder.. What does a Klingon say to express =
gratitude ?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt'>What would he/she say in the place of =
"thank you" ?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>cpt qunnoQ<o:p></o:p></p></div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>
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