[3213] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: "Is this seat taken?"
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Wed Feb 16 03:21:28 1994
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Errors-To: tlhIngan-Hol-request@klingon.East.Sun.COM
Errors-To: tlhIngan-Hol-request@klingon.East.Sun.COM
Reply-To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@klingon.East.Sun.COM>
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From: Captain Krankor <krankor@codex.prds.cdx.mot.com>
To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@klingon.East.Sun.COM>
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 94 01:20:48 -0700
Guido#1vo':
>I found in the appendix under Useful Klingon Expressions
>{quSDaQ ba' lu''a'} and I want to talk about this phrase. But the first item
>of business is performing a typo-ectomy. That first {Q} should be {q} and
>there should be no space between {ba'} and {-lu''a'}. So, it comes out
>{quSDaq ba'lu''a'}. So, /this/ is canonical. We can't really deny that too
>strongly since it is right there glaring at us from TKD, in its ugly,
>corrupted, typo-ed form. Anyways, how do the opinions go along the lines of
>using {-lu'} with intransitive verbs like {ba'}. Does {ba'lu'} mean "someone
>sits." Can we also say things like {Qonglu'}, {yItlu'}, {Heghlu'}, etc.
>
>Or not?
Sure, why not? -lu' is one of those wonderful things that doesn't
translate so well into English. "someone sits" might be about the
best you could do for ba'lu', but even the "someone" sounds a little
specific. It could be someones, or even something. Looking at the
example here from the Klingon->English perspective really tells the
tale. The subject is unknown and indefinite, and, in this case,
unimportant. So, yeah, you could say Qonglu', or the rest. But the
translation to English would likely be context sensitive. Here's
just one that pops to mind:
yItamchoH! Qonglu'! "Be quiet! People are sleeping!"
--Krankor
