[tlhIngan Hol] KLBC: {-ngan}

Steven Boozer sboozer at uchicago.edu
Tue Oct 18 08:04:04 PDT 2016


 mayqel qunenoS:
> 'elaDya' *panda*mey vIqotlhta' ?
>     or
> 'elaDya'ngan *panda*mey vIqotlhta' ?

{'elaDya' *panda*mey} would be "Greek pandas" (i.e. pandas of or associated with the country Greece) vs. {'elaDya'ngan *panda*mey} "the Greek's pandas" (e.g. those pandas belonging to a specific Greek zoo keeper).  
 
> The question is whether one can use the {-ngan} in order to describe the
> animals which inhabit a place. And since we're on the subject can someone
> tell me, where exactly in the TKD the {-ngan} is discussed ? I can't find
> it anywhere..

Because the explanation is in KGT:

(KGT 141f.):  A name for the inhabitant of a planet (and, therefore, the name of a race of beings) is formed by adding {ngan} (inhabitant) to the planet name (excluding the number, if any): {lIghonngan} (Ligonian), {tera'ngan} (Earther, Terran), {romuluSngan} (Romulan). (Actually, there is some phonetic variation here. Ligonian is often pronounced {lIghongan}, dropping the final {n} of {lIghon} before the initial {ng} of {ngan}. This is not considered an error, only an alternate pronunciation.) Occasionally, and no doubt owing to influence from Federation Standard, from which names, as noted, are often taken, an extra syllable, {-ya'-}, comes between the planet name and {ngan}. Thus, Denebian - that is, an inhabitant of one of the Deneb planets - is both {DenIbngan} and {DenIbya'ngan}. The planet name itself is also heard in two forms: {DenIb} (formed from the name Deneb) and {DenIbya'} (formed by dropping the {ngan} from {DenIbya'ngan}).

Okrand added a bit more relevant information to your question later:

(MO to Lieven, 3/27/2012):  Maltz said that for language names the construction "country + {Hol}" is most common (so he preferred {DoyIchlan Hol}). Of course, it doesn't have to be a "country." It could be a region or a political unit or alliance of another kind (which is why {DIvI' Hol} fits in). He noted that {tlhIngan Hol} is really a shortened form of {tlhIngan wo' Hol}, but nobody ever says that in everyday speech. If one were to say {vulqangan Hol} ("Vulcan's language" or "Vulcans' language"), that could mean the same thing as {vulqan Hol}, so the speaker would generally not be misunderstood, but if at an intergalactic gathering a Vulcan were speaking Federation Standard, then {vulqangan Hol} for that Vulcan at that time and place would be {DIvI' Hol}. There is no such thing as {qa'naDa' Hol}, but {qa'naDa'ngan Hol} might refer to {DIvI' Hol} or {vIraS Hol} (or Cree or Inuit or many other languages). So Maltz thought it best to avoid the {-ngan} construction for language names.

See for example {romuluS HIq} "Romulan ale" (i.e. the famous potent alcoholic beverage associated with Romulus which is banned in the Federation) vs. {romuluSngan HIq} "the Romulan's ale (e.g. the drink of that Romulan at the end of the bar).


SEE ALSO:
toq 		be inhabited (v)
chIm 		be uninhabited, be deserted (v)

roghvaH 	population (n)
ngan 		inhabitant (n)
Sung 		native (n)
nov 		alien, outsider, foreigner (n)





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