[95271] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: HI'tuy
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David Trimboli)
Thu Dec 13 09:20:49 2012
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:20:29 -0500
From: David Trimboli <david@trimboli.name>
To: tlhingan-hol@stodi.digitalkingdom.org
In-Reply-To: <50C98FD0.603@gmx.de>
Errors-To: tlhingan-hol-bounces@stodi.digitalkingdom.org
On 12/13/2012 3:20 AM, Lieven wrote:
>
> We shouldn't forget that many of those words with {-'a'} and {-Hom}
> cannot always be translated literally from klingon to english. A
> {be'Hom} is not an "inferior woman", or a {bIQ'a'} is more than just a
> big piece of water - and shouldn't ocean be ngeng'a'?
Nouns with type 1 suffixes are things distinct from the counterparts
without the suffix; they are not just bigger/smaller or more/less
important versions of the same thing. If there exists a standard
construction, there is no room for interpretation. If the speaker
constructs his own word, he must explain himself.
For example, if I said {De'wI''a'}, it doesn't just mean "big computer"
or "impressive computer." Since there is no standard interpretation, I
must make sure my audience understands that I am referring to the
supercomputer in my data center.
If a coinage is used often enough, it will gain a standard meaning. TKD
gives us {qep} "meeting," but years of use by the KLI has solidified the
word {qep'a'} as meaning "convention." (We usually translate it as
"conference," but a conference can also be a meeting between two people,
which is not what a {qep'a'} is.)
Every speaking community will have its own coinages, and we mustn't
expect that what one community thinks of with an {-'a'} or {-Hom} will
match what another community thinks.
--
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/
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