[tlhIngan Hol] Meta: Discussions about new words found in Netflix' Klingon subtitles for Star Trek: Discovery

Felix Malmenbeck felixm at kth.se
Wed Oct 25 06:58:19 PDT 2017


> bIQongtaHvIS DuSoppu''a' targh?


HISlaH. vIrIDlu'chu'ta'pa' mu' tetlh vIgher 'e' vInID.

I currently can't go looking for the exact quotes, but for the sake of getting the discussion going, here are words listed in the Facebook document, with my notes.


Note that the translations are best guesses given limited information, and sometimes a seemingly obvious translation can have layers to it that don't show up in the known examples. The true definitions will be revealed at qepHom in November.

Also, note that while we can expect that new words are from Okrand, the subtitles themselves were written by Lieven, and are thus non-canonical.

== rIS ==


(verb) appears to have something to do with sending out a signal, or showing up on sensors


Quote from Ep.2 ("Battle at the Binary Stars"):

CONNOR: "Captain, incoming! Warp signatures detected!"

{HoD, paw vay'. rIS 'op pIvghor 'e' vItu'.}


In Ep.6 "Lethe", {rISwI'} is used for "transponder".

Lieven has written on Twitter that this word is similar to {tlhuD}. It used to be used to transmit audio, but now is apparently also a way to transmit life signs:

https://twitter.com/Klingonteacher/status/912699349754400770

(I wonder if a Error Code 404 might be explained using {rISbe' Daq DarI'bogh.})


== SanmIr ==


(noun) appears to mean "spore"


Used several times, starting in episode 3 ("Context is for Kings").

The spore drive is called a {SanmIr QuQ}.


== tlhapragh ==

(noun) appears to mean something like "monster"


Used several times in episode 4 ("The Butcher's Knife ...").


LANDRY: "Together we can deal with Lorca's little monster."

{matay'DI', Lorca tlhapraghHom wItlhay'moHlaH.}


BURNHAM: "How do you know it's a monster, Commander?"

{tlhapragh 'oH, qatlh 'e' DaSov, la'?}


== tIw ==

(verb) appears to mean something like "feel emotion"


In episode 1 ("The Vulcan Hello"), Sarek says "When emotions brings us ghosts from the past, only logic can root us in the present." The first part of this is translated as {matIwtaHvIS pa'logh nIyma' wIleghchugh,}.


Also used in episode 4, when Stamets and Culber are talking about whether or not the frontal lobe is overrated.


== SIr'o' ==


(noun) I'm fairly certain that this means "mycelium", in part because there's a pun (look up "mycelium" on Wikipedia and you'll find it quite quickly), and also because it works with all of the examples.

However, the examples are also consistent with something like "network", "structure" or "plane"; perhaps by analogy it has come to mean both.


>From episode 4 ("The Butcher's Knife ..."):


"This ships spore drive travels on a network of mycelium that's spread across the entire galaxy."

{qIb naQ velbogh 'atlhqam SIr'o' leng Dujvam SanmIr QuQ.}



"... when it exited from the mycelial plane."

{... 'atlhqam SIr'o' mejDI'.}


== loy' ==


(verb) Used to translate "have a personality", though it's a bit unclear what that means, exactly. Perhaps it refers to some notion of unicity or individuality, or being interesting?

{loy'wI'} *might* mean "personality".


When Tilly says that she more than makes up for her athletic shortcomings with her intelligence and personality, the subtitles end in {jIval 'ej jIloy'.}


BURNHAM: "Personality doens't matter."

{potlhbe' loy'wI'.}


TILLY: "That's just something people with no personality say."

{roD 'oH jatlh loy'be'bogh nuv.}


TILLY: "Wait ... Which in no way means you! You absolutely have a personality!"

{yIloS... SoH qaqelbe'bej. bIloy'qu' SoH.}


== weS ==


(verb) Used when describing the loss of a ship. However, it's unclear who the subject is: If it's the one losing the ship, or the one taking it away or destroying it. Seems more likely to be the former, but it's uncertain.


Used in Ep. 6 ("Lethe"):


"Starfleet can't afford to lose the Discovery."

{DISqa'vI'rIy weS 'e' SIQlaHbe' 'ejyo'.}


 == qatra' ==


(noun) Used in Ep. 6 ("Lethe") to refer to a "katra", the Vulcan "soul" or "essence".


It seems Lieven leaves proper nouns untranscribed when he doesn't have either canon or Qov's spelling to go on, so I'm assuming this comes from Okrand.


== qanQIy loS and qanQI' ==


In Ep. 6 ("Lethe"), there is a species called the Cancri, apparently native to Cancri IV.


Cancri individuals are mentioned in Klingon dialogue, and the subtitles call then {qanQI'}.

The planet Cancri IV is only mentioned in English dialogue, and it is then subtitled as {qanQIy loS}.


Not sure if this disparity is intentional or due to a lapse in communication, due to the subtitles for Klingon text being taken directly from the script by Qov while the English script is by Lieven (both with Okrand's involvement, although he's probably not been privy to th    e full scripts or any of the audio).

Probably best to wait for clarification.


________________________________
From: tlhIngan-Hol <tlhingan-hol-bounces at lists.kli.org> on behalf of De'vID <de.vid.jonpin at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 12:26
To: tlhIngan-Hol
Subject: Re: [tlhIngan Hol] Meta: Discussions about new words found in Netflix' Klingon subtitles for Star Trek: Discovery



On 12 October 2017 at 18:58, Felix Malmenbeck <felixm at kth.se<mailto:felixm at kth.se>> wrote:

I'll be very busy for the next 24 hours, but if nobody beats me to it, I'll get started on it then (assuming I don't fall asleep before then :P ).

bIQongtaHvIS DuSoppu''a' targh?

--
De'vID
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