[tlhIngan Hol] Klingonaase in Klingon

[Steven Boozer]

*{tlhIngan'a'Se' Hol} has been used occasionally – and unofficially -- on the Mailing List.  (Does anyone know who came up with this spelling?)

I’ve also seen it referred to as {ta' tlhIngan Hol} “the Emperor's Klingon” (i.e. the standard dialect) the idea being that *Klingonaase* was the standard dialect at one time:
(KGT 14f.):  Throughout Klingon history, and still today, if the leader of the Empire carries the title {ta'} (Emperor), the way he speaks Klingon -- that is, the dialect used by his family and people from his region -- is always considered the best way.  The vocabulary and grammatical details typical of the leader's area become the current model for the Empire.  The way other people speak, if different, is considered somehow inferior, and the more any given dialect differs from that of the Emperor, the more inferior it is considered.  Not only is the way of speaking considered inferior, anyone speaking only a nonstandard dialect is considered to be inferior as well, motivating everyone to learn to speak the way the Emperor does.  On the other hand, since a change in leadership tends to bring in an Emperor from a different lineage and different region, the relative status of the different varieties can easily change, with a dialect formerly associated with a certain region becoming the standard dialect spoken by all.  As a result, the various dialects of Klingon have persisted, with most Klingons becoming adept at several of them.  The system by which the Emperor's dialect is considered the standard dialect stayed in place even during those times when there was no official Emperor, as has been the case, until recently, for the last 300 years.  Regardless of the leader's title, the leader's way of speaking is still considered the best.  The term used for the standard dialect, however, harks back to the Emperors:  {ta' tlhIngan Hol} (literally, "the Emperor's Klingon"), often shortened to {ta' Hol} ("Emperor's language").  It is appropriate to use these terms regardless of the official title of the leader of the Empire.

{no' Hol} is another option:

(KGT 11-14):  Heard far more frequently than non-Klingon languages are various archaic forms of Klingon, dating from different time periods and originating in different regions, collectively known as {no' Hol} (“ancestors' language”).  The ancient forms are heard primarily, though not exclusively, in ceremonies, songs, and classical stories. ...  The use of older language forms is not restricted to rituals, myths, and songs. There are occasions when either as a sign of erudition or just to taunt a friend one may speak a line or two in {no' Hol}.  Among some admirers of Klingon history, conversations may take place entirely in older language forms.  Such conversations are usually of very brief duration, however, and restricted to a few topics for which vocabulary is known.

--
Voragh

_____________________________________________________
From: De'vID via tlhIngan-Hol
Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2023 6:05 AM
On Tue, Aug 1, 2023 at 10:40 AM James Landau … wrote:
It just hit me: Why is there no tlhIngan Hol word for the Klingonaase language?

mu'vam tu'lu' qatlh 'e' DapIH?
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