[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: tlhavqop

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: tlhavqop
Part of speech: noun
Definition: punctuation
Source: qep'a' 26 [2019]
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(qep’a’ 2019):  A slang expression is {ghewmey}.  {tlhavqop} is inherently plural, but you can say {tlhavqop ngutlh(mey)" "punctuation mark(s)”.

(SuStel, 8/16/2019):  So far as I know, no one has ever written a popularly accepted Klingon style guide of punctuation, and even if someone had, it would be a prescriptive style guide only, not a rule.  That said, here are my suggestions.  I usually reserve commas for separating purpose and subordinate clauses from other clauses if they are complex enough to be potentially confusing, and for separating items in a conjunction of three or more items (and please include an Oxford comma!).  I might use one to separate a time expression from what comes after it if it's unclear where the one ends and the next begins.  Occasionally I'll use a comma to separate a quotation from a verb of speech, though my approach to the punctuation of this has never settled down.  (I am currently not in favor of always using full quotation marks around the quotation.)  I tend to use semicolons between closely related sentences that have no verbal link between them (e.g., {'uSDaj chop; chev}).  I recommend keeping punctuation to a minimum: use no more than necessary to remove any awkward spots in a text.  Don't use it to show verbal pauses. (If you must show verbal pauses, only do so when reporting dialogue, and use an ellipsis.)

SEE ALSO:
vI' 		decimal point (n)
DoD 		mark (in coordinates) (n)
ngutlh 		letter, written character, glyph (n)


--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary from recent qep’a’mey 
    or qepHommey. I’ve fallen woefully behind in updating my files.