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

Aurélie Demonchaux demonchaux.aurelie at gmail.com
Wed Oct 5 10:03:46 PDT 2016


*@Voragh:*

1/ Thanks for sharing the full canon references on < pong >. I realize I
was actually using the prefix trick in my exercises at home without
realizing it. Looking at the examples, I figure the most correct sentence
structure in those cases is as below:


[indirect object]-vaD [direct object] [verb]

(who is called)-vaD (what they’re called) (verb)


So I would assume that this structure is also valid for any similar verb
that can have 2 objects, like < jatlh > (tell, say)


Thus, taking the example “I told you no” (“you” being singular here):


Correct/classical grammar:

SoHvaD < ghobe’ > vIjatlhta’

Here the verb prefix is vI (I--it), agreeing with the direct object <
ghobe’ >.


Prefix trick:

< ghobe’ > qajatlhta’

with the prefix agreeing with the indirect object “you”.


(If I’m getting it wrong, as always I really appreciate your corrections!)



2/ Regarding ’egh : thanks for your full explanation on this, it’s all
clear now and duly noted!


3/

> [Yes Aurélie, there is a different verb for each finger and toe!]

tlhaQ ’oHvam ! :D

I wonder which language (if any) inspired this peculiarity in Klingon!



*@De’vID*

> This is true for verbs of movement. But for verbs describing a state, the
> imperative requires {-'eghmoH}

Duly noted too, many thanks!



*@Lieven / Quvar *

1/ While we’re all influenced by our mother tongues when learning or
speaking new languages, it can also be a strength sometimes.

For the –lu’ suffix, I like to compare it to the French “on” (3rd person
singular pronoun), which also conveys that the subject of the sentence is
an indefinite someone (except when “on” means “we” – it depends on the
context – but I digress). So, comparing & seeing where it’s similar (or
not) helps me learn.

Similarly, in my notes on verbal prefixes, I translated the TKD prefix
table into French, because we have 2 distinct pronouns for “you” (singular
“tu” and plural “vous”), and Klingon makes the same singular/plural
distinction.

Did you use similar techniques when learning Klingon, comparing some of its
features with other languages to help you learn?

 2/ Thanks also for sharing comparative French - German examples – I’m
still a beginner in German so it helps my German-learning too!


~mughwI'



2016-10-05 16:13 GMT+02:00 Steven Boozer <sboozer at uchicago.edu>:

> Aurélie :
> >> So then if someone gives an order to 1 other person to sit in Klingon,
> >> it will be < yIba’ > but not < yIba’egh >, because in English you
> >> would normally say “sit down” but not “sit yourself down” (although
> >> the 2nd phrasing does actually exist, it seems to be nonstandard).
>
> De'vID:
> > This is true for verbs of movement. But for verbs describing a state, the
> > imperative requires {-'eghmoH}. You can't say, e.g., "be hot!", but must
> > say "Make yourself hot!" See KGT (Klingon for the Galactic
> > Traveler) p. 117.
>
> For those who don't have a copy KGT:
>
> (KGT 117):  Generally, when a verb describing a state of being (for
> example, {tuj} ["be hot"]) is used in the imperative form, the suffixes
> {-'egh} (reflexive suffix) and {-moH} (cause) are used as well...
>
>   yItuj'eghmoH
>   Heat yourself! ("Cause yourself to be hot!")
>
>   yItaD'eghmoH
>   Freeze yourself! ("Cause yourself to be frozen!")
>
> Okrand has two other non-imperative examples:
>
>   quv'eghmoH
>   he/she honors him/herself (st.k 11/1997)
>
>   muptaHvIS tay''eghmoH QeHDaj Hoch
>   All his rage focused in one blow (PB)
>
>
> However - and with Okrand there is always a "however"! - there are some
> peculiarities with {-'egh}.  Here are two of them:
>
> (st.k 7/1999):  Though not common, it is also possible to use {tatlh} with
> the reflexive suffix {-'egh} ("do something to oneself") to convey a
> meaning similar to that of {chegh}:
>    pa'Daq jItatlh'egh     "I return to the room" ...
> The {tatlh'egh} form seems to suggest that the doer of the action is
> forcing himself/herself to do something, perhaps because it is difficult or
> not desirable.
>
> tatlh   return (something) (v)
> chegh   return (to a place) (v)
>
>
> (HQ 10.2:8-9):  There are some special uses of the reflexive forms of the
> finger verbs. For example, while {ghIchwIj vISIq} means "I touch my nose
> with my index finger" and {ghIchwIjDaq jISIq} means "I point at my nose
> with my index finger", the phrase {ghIchwIjDaq jISIq'egh} (with {–'egh}
> "oneself"), literally "I use at myself my index finger at my nose", is used
> for "I pick my nose with my index finger". Similarly, {nujDajDaq rIl'egh
> ghu}, literally "at his/her mouth, the baby uses at him/herself his/her
> thumb", is used for "the baby sucks its thumb". [...] It also works with
> the toe verbs: {nujDajDaq mar'egh ghu} "the baby sucks its big toe".
>
> SIq             use the index finger (v)
> rIl             use the thumb (v)
> mar             use the big toe (v)
>
> [Yes Aurélie, there is a different verb for each finger and toe!]
>
>
> --
> Voragh
> tlhIngan ghantoH pIn'a'
> Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
>
>
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