[83920] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: Specifying distance traveled (was Art of War Chp. 2
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven Boozer)
Thu Jan 10 10:46:01 2008
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:43:54 -0600
To: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
From: Steven Boozer <sboozer@uchicago.edu>
In-Reply-To: <E4C9AF5E-7B86-449F-A09B-98B1A1A51B95@embarqmail.com>
Errors-to: tlhingan-hol-bounce@kli.org
Reply-to: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
Doq wrote:
>I wish you would offer a more extensive lesson in the use of {-'e'} so
>that I and others can learn how to use it well, since I'm apparently
>using it so poorly.
It's not a lesson, per se, but here's what I have in my notes WRT {-'e'}
(N5 syntactic marker):
TKD p.29: This suffix emphasizes that the noun to which it is attached is
the topic of the sentence. In English, this is frequently accomplished by
stressing the noun (saying it emphatically) or by special syntactic
constructions:
lujpu' jIH'e'
I, and only I, have failed.
De''e' vItlhapnISpu'
I needed to get the INFORMATION.
It was the information (and not something else) I needed.
Without the {'e'}, these same sentences would have no noun singled out for
emphasis:
lujpu' jIH
I have failed.
De' vItlhapnISpu'
I needed to get the information.
For a further use of {-'e'}, see section 6.3.
TKD p.68: There is no verb corresponding to English "to be" in Klingon. On
the other hand, all pronouns (section 5.1) can be used as verbs, in the
sense of "I am", "you are", etc. ... When there is a definite subject, it
follows the pronoun and takes the {-'e'} "topic" suffix (see section 3.3.5):
puqpu' chaH qama'pu''e'
The prisoners are children. As for the prisoners, they are children.
pa'DajDaq ghaHtaH la''e'
The commander is in his quarters. As for the commander, he is in his
quarters.
TKD p.180: The adverbial may actually follow the object noun (but still
precedes the verb) when the object noun is topicalized by means of the noun
suffix {-'e'}: {HaqwI''e' DaH yISam} "Find the SURGEON now!"
Okrand was interviewed in HolQeD 4.2:
Q: That's another thing people have been hassling about, because you
called {–'e'} the topic marker, and all the time you use it as a
focus marker.
MO: And they're making the distinction... You're using topic like
topic/comment.
Q: You've been saying things like "As for the ship, it's big," which is
focus.
MO: I stand corrected.
Q: So it really is a focus marker, then?
MO: Yeah.
KGT (via charghwI'): In one of the descriptions of a Klingon dialect
(Morska, I think), Okrand remarks that the dialect does not normally add
the {-'e'} to the subject of a "to be" sentence. This explains the *Dujvets
'o nuq, reen* line in ST5... in this dialect, sometimes the speaker uses
the {-'e'} and other times he does not. When he does, it indicates focus,
as in, "As for my name, it is charghwI'." When it is missing, the sentence
merely means, "My name is charghwI'." Okrand points out that for speakers
of any other dialect of Klingon, there is no way to distinguish between the
existence or absence of focus on the subject of a "to be" sentence. The
{-'e'} is needed for arbitrary syntax and does not imply focus.
Examples with {-'e'} in canon:
nuqDaq 'oH puchpa''e'
Where's the bathroom? PK
wa' vub ghaH tlhIngan gharwI''e'
One hostage is a Klingon diplomat. (ST5 notes)
wa' ghaH tera'ngan'e'
One is a Terran. (ST5 notes)
... tlhIngan'e', tera'ngan'e', romuluSngan'e'
[... a Klingon, a Terran, a Romulan] ST5
tlhIngan ghaH wa' vub'e'
One of the hostages is a Klingon. ST5
qIbDaq SuvwI''e' SoH Dun law' Hoch Dun puS
You would be the greatest warrior in the galaxy. ST5
'entepray' 'oH DoS'e'!
Enterprise targeted! ST5
'ach HoD, Hevetlh wIghoSchugh veH tIn wI'el maH'e'!
But Captain, that course will take us into the [Great] Barrier as well. ST5
chorghSaD qelI'qam HIvchuq'e' vInoH
Estimating attack range in 8,000 kellicams. ST5
cheng'e' DaH yISam!
Find Chang. ST6
not qoHpu''e' neH ghIjlu'
Only fools have no fear. TKW
bortaS nIvqu' 'oH bortaS'e'
Revenge is the best revenge. TKW
butlh ghajbogh nuv'e' yIHo'
Admire the person with dirt under his fingernails. TKW
qun qon charghwI'pu''e'
History is written by the victors. TKW
loghDaq Suvrupbogh SuvwI'pu' chaH Hoch SuvwI'pu''e'
In space, all warriors are cold warriors ("warriors who are ready to
fight"). TKW
DaHjaj SuvwI''e' jIH
Today I am a warrior. TKW
reH Hegh yoHwI'pu''e'
Always it is the brave ones who die. TKW
nobmey qembogh yIrIDnganpu''e' yIvoqQo'
Don't trust Yridians who bring gifts. TKW
Huch nobHa'bogh verenganpu''e' yIvoqQo'
Don't trust Ferengi who give back money. TKW
tajwIj 'oHbe' chorlIj jeqbogh Dochvetlh'e'
That is not my dagger protruding from your midsection. FTG
tera'ngan ghaH qama''e'
The prisoner is a Terran. KGT
bIghHa'Daq ghaHtaH qama''e'
The prisoner is in the prison. KGT
nuqDaq 'oH jengva''e'
Where is the plate? KGT
nuqDaq 'oH ngop'e'
Where are the plates? KGT
nuqDaq bIH ngop'e'
Where are the plates? (childish error!) KGT
ra'wI' ghaH qImlaq'e'
K'mlak is a commander. KGT
ya ghaH qImlaq Sogh'e'
Lieutenant K'mlak is the tactical officer. KGT
yaS wa'DIch ghaH qImlaq la''e'
Commander K'mlak is first officer. KGT
bIQ'a'Daq 'oHtaH 'etlh'e'
The sword is in the ocean. KGT
SuvwI' ghaH vavoy'e'
My daddy is a warrior (childish). KGT
ngIb ghaH verengan'e'
The Ferengi is an ankle [insult] KGT
Ho' ghaH HoD'e'
The captain is an idol (lit. "The captain is a tooth" [slang]). KGT
qIvo'rIt toQDuj 'oH tlhIngan wo' Duj pagh'e'
The Imperial Klingon Vessel Pagh is a K'Vort-class Bird-of-Prey. S7
yIntaHvIS qeylIS'e' lIjlaHbe'bogh vay' batlh 'etlhvam chenmoHlu'pu'
this sword of honor descends from the time of Kahless the Unforgettable. S8
veH Qav 'oH logh'e'
space--the final frontier. DS99
Paramount Pictures malja' permey bIH Star Trek pong'e' Deghmey'e' je
"Star Trek" and related marks are trademarks of Paramount Pictures.
(Copyright)
qorDu'Daj tuq 'oS Ha'quj'e' tuQbogh wo'rIv
The sash that Worf wears is a symbol of his family's house. S20
ngoQvam luchavmeH ghawran maghpu' be'nI'pu'. woQ luSuqmeH jIjpu' chaH
romuluSngan'e' je.
To this end, the sisters have acted against Gowron, going as far as to work
with Romulan factions in order to gain power. S26
yoq yIn yuQ 'oH Qo'noS'e'. yInSIp voQSIp je ngaS muDDaj.
Qo'noS is a class-M planet with an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. S27
pa' 'oHtaH vaS'a''e'. tlhIngan qum waw' 'oH.
This is where the Klingon Great Hall is located, the center of the Klingon
government. S27
nentay loptaHvIS tlhIngan potlh tlhIngan 'oy'naQ'e'
The Klingon Painstik is an important part of a Klingon's Age of Ascension
ceremony. S32
tlhIngan juHqo'Daq tlhIng yoSDaq 'oH toQDuj chenmoHlu'meH Daq wa'DIch'e'
1st Construction Site: The Kling District, Klingon Home World. KBOP
meyrI'Daq 'oHtaH gho'e'
The circle is in the square. [qep'a' 2005]
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
