[tlhIngan Hol] [English] Using "pong" as a verb to say "my name is..." ?

John R. Harness cartweel at gmail.com
Sat Oct 1 12:53:53 PDT 2016


Don't forget that people also quite frequently say: {____ jIH}, "I am
_____". For example, {'arHa jIH}.


--

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Klingon Language Institute <http://www.kli.org/>

On Sat, Oct 1, 2016 at 11:34 AM, mayqel qunenoS <mihkoun at gmail.com> wrote:

> Also keep in mind, that the exact translation of {Quvar vIponglu'}, isn't
> "I'm called Quvar". It is rather "someone calls me Quvar". Klingon doesn't
> have a passive voice..
>
> qunnoq
> ghogh HablI'wIjvo' vIngeHta'
>
> On 1 Oct 2016 7:31 p.m., "mayqel qunenoS" <mihkoun at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Don't take me seriously, but if I read the {Quvar vIponglu'}, I would
>> understand that "someone calls me Quvar"; this would raise the ambiguity
>> that only "that someone" calls me Quvar, while others may call me
>> differently.
>>
>> As far as the {Quvar jIpong'egh}, then again there is the matter that
>> perhaps "only I" call myself Quvar, while others may call me differently,
>> and there is this additional problem as well:
>>
>> You have the {jIpong'egh}, and before that you have the {Quvar}; I'm not
>> sure if you can have a noun sitting around in front of a verb, without that
>> noun having a definite and clear relation to that verb. I mean, is {Quvar}
>> an object to the {jIpong'egh} ? Since we have a no object prefix, then
>> obviously it isn't. So, I don't think we can put it there.
>>
>> Anyway, as I already wrote, when I talk about grammar don't take me
>> seriously..
>>
>> qunnoq
>> ghogh HablI'wIjvo' vIngeHta'
>>
>> On 1 Oct 2016 3:47 p.m., "Aurélie Demonchaux" <
>> demonchaux.aurelie at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hoch Savan ! :)
>>>
>>> It’s been bugging me for a few days now that the most common way in
>>> Klingon to introduce one’s name is to use « pong » as a noun and not a
>>> verb, when most languages (that I know of) offer the possibility to
>>> introduce one’s name directly with a specific verb (« I am called + name »)
>>>
>>>
>>> So I’ve checked the page on this topic on Klingonwiki.net, and now have
>>> 2 questions:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 1/ On Klingonwiki, one solution for using « pong » as a verb is to do it
>>> in the passive voice, as below:
>>>
>>>> jIHvaD Quvar ponglu'
>>>> I am being called Quvar.
>>>
>>>
>>> Literally, this is “For me(/to talk to me), call Quvar”.
>>>
>>>
>>> But since in this example the person being called is “me”, and "Quvar"
>>> is only what I'm called, then instead of using < jIHvaD Quvar ponglu’ >
>>> can we also say:
>>>
>>>
>>> < Quvar vIponglu’ > - “I am called Quvar”?
>>>
>>>
>>> Kind of like the “prefix trick” I read about elsewhere on the
>>> Klingonwiki?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2/ Can we use a pronominal / reflexive verb?
>>>
>>> In French, we have lots of pronominal verbs (verbs that are accompanied
>>> by a reflexive pronoun, for example “s’asseoir” (=to sit) literally means
>>> “to sit oneself”, or “se lever” (to get up/stand up) is literally “to get
>>> oneself up”)
>>>
>>>
>>> So if someone says “je m’appelle Quvar” for “I am called Quvar”, what it
>>> literally means is “I call myself Quvar”.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thus, in Klingon, can we use a similar structure?
>>>
>>> < Quvar jIpong’egh > -- I call myself Quvar
>>>
>>>
>>> Please let me know what you think :)
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance!
>>>
>>>
>>> ~mughwI'
>>>
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>>> tlhIngan-Hol at lists.kli.org
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>>>
>>>
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