[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: net

Steven Boozer sboozer at uchicago.edu
Thu Mar 17 07:23:20 PDT 2022


Klingon word: 	net
Part of speech: 	pro
Definition: 	that (previous topic)
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qama'pu' DIHoH net Sov 
One knows we kill prisoners. (TKD)

Qu'vaD lI' net tu'bej 
You will find it useful. (ST3)
One certainly finds it useful for the mission. (TKD)
One will certainly observe that it is useful to the mission. (TKD)

(charghwI' [date?]):  this line was one of those Valkris was filmed saying in English, then redubbed in Klingon. Okrand had to match lip movements. The subtitle was something like "You'll find it useful." There was no mention of "for the mission" in the subtitle, but Okrand needed to add something to give her a reason to keep her lips moving. Note that lip movements for "You'll find" look a lot like {Qu'vaD}, "it" looks a lot like {lI'} and "useful" loosely matches {tu'bej}. 

vImuHlu' net wuqHa'!
My death sentence was commuted! (ENT "Affliction")

neHmaH Da'el net tu' 
Caught breaching the Neutral Zone. (MKE)

Duj ghajchugh pagh, beylI'vo' 'oH Daje' net chaw' 
If [ship is] unowned, you may buy it from the Bank. (MKE)

nuv 'umHa' leghchugh veqlargh ngoS nuv 'umHa' net jatlh 
Those unfit disintegrate at the glance of Fek'lhr so it is said. (PB)

[ I like this phrase:  {net jatlh} "so it is said". ]

tlhIngan SoH net jalchugh, qagh DatIv 
If you were a Klingon, you would enjoy *gagh*.
("If one imagines that you are a Klingon, you would enjoy *gagh*") (Lieven < MO, qepHom, 11/03/2016)

qaghwIj DaSop net jalchugh, qaHoH 
If you were eating my *gagh*, I would kill you. 
(literally: "If one imagines that you are eating my *gagh* …") (Lieven < MO, qepHom, 11/03/2016)

 (TKD 65f):  Klingon has two special pronouns, {'e'} and {net}, which refer to the previous sentence as a whole.  They are used primarily, though not exclusively, with verbs of thinking or observation (such as know, see).  They are always treated as the object of the verb, and the verb always takes a prefix indicating a third-person singular object.  What is a single sentence in English is often two sentences in Klingon.  {net} is used only under special circumstances, but {'e'} is common...  In complex sentences of this type, the second verb never takes an aspect suffix. (section 4.2.7)  When the verb of the second sentence has a third-person subject (that is, the pronominal prefix is 0) but the intended meaning is one or someone, rather than he, she, it, or they, {net} is used instead of {'e'}.  
    qama'pu' DIHoH net Sov
    One knows we kill prisoners" 
... the first sentence here is {qama'pu' DIHoH} "We kill prisoners".  The second sentence is {net Sov} "One knows that".  The full construction implies that it is common knowledge that the group to which the speaker belongs kills prisoners. 
    Qu'vaD lI' net tu'bej
    One certainly finds it useful for the mission. 
The first part of this example is {Qu'vaD lI'} "It is useful for the mission".  The second part is {net tu'bej} "One certainly finds that" or "One certainly observes that".  The full construction might also be translated "One will certainly observe that it is useful to the mission".  Note that although the word "will" makes a more flowing translation, there is nothing in the Klingon sentence indicating future tense.
    [ ... ]
When the verb of the second sentence is {neH} "want", neither {'e'} nor {net} is used, but the construction is otherwise identical to that just described. 
    jIQong vIneH 		I want to sleep. 
    qalegh vIneH 		I want to see you. 
    Dalegh vIneH 		I want you to see him.

(DloraH, personal conversation with MO, 5/1998):  The first one I nailed him with was our lovely QAO.  Uh-oh.  You can not use a "question" as an object; but... it is not known yet if Klingon question words can act as one of those ... relative pronoun[s]...  The safest thing for now would be to recast if possible.


--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary or notes from the last 
    year or two. I’ve fallen woefully behind in updating my files.




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