<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">For many years I’ve argued about the use of {qamuSHa’} for “I love you.” The problem is that “I love you,” is completely dependent upon context to give it meaning.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">A mother means one thing when saying it to her child, a different thing when saying it to her husband, a different thing when saying it to a sibling, a different thing when saying it to HER mother, a different thing when saying it to a childhood friend, a different thing when saying it to her dog, a different thing when saying it to her favorite TV star… etc.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The relationship and the circumstance give meaning to an otherwise uselessly vague statement.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">If you want to say it with meaning in Klingon, then either preface it with a lengthy description of the context (either spoken in the conversation, or as a description for the reader to understand wtf you are saying with the vague term), or say what you really mean:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">reH parmaqqaywI’ SoH.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">tuq’a’ wIchenchoHmoH vIneH. HInay.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">puqwI’ SoH. bIquvmo’ choquvmoH ‘ej jIbelchu’.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">In other words, say what you mean. Don’t just take the original words and translate the words. Translate the MEANING. Start with the extreme specific, root level meaning of the idea or thought that has already been translated into English (or whatever language you find the original expression in), and translate THAT MEANING into Klingon.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The original idea has already been compromised when stated in its original expression. It was already an imperfect translation of the idea, just to get it on a page or out of somebody’s mouth. The imperfections of different languages do not align particularly well, so starting with a compromised expression and running it through the flawed filter of the second language often results in a further compromised expression, sometimes mangled beyond usefulness.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">All too often, people take the shortcut and start with the words instead of the meaning, and this often works well enough, but it is never as good as it would have been if you back up and start with the pre-lingual thought that became the words you are trying to translate. Ironically, the more loyal you are to the original words, the less likely you are to result in an effective translation.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">This is what I’m pointing to when I say that Klingon is a language, not a code. If it were a code, then loyalty to the original choice of words and grammar would be a good thing, but when translating between languages, it is a bad thing.</div><br class=""><div class="">
<div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">charghwI’ vaghnerya’ngan<br class=""><br class="">rInpa’ bomnIS be’’a’ pI’.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><br class=""></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Aug 14, 2019, at 9:43 AM, mayqel qunen'oS <<a href="mailto:mihkoun@gmail.com" class="">mihkoun@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="auto" class="">SuStel:</div><div dir="auto" class="">> Say I agree in Klingon. Give it punch.</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="auto" class="">I can't. Indeed, saying "I don't disagree" lacks the punch of "I agree". Or the "I reject" word too..</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="auto" class="">And an even better example is the {qamuSHa'} which *feels* light years away from "I love you".</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="auto" class="">But since it's a constructed language, I guess we'll have to make due with the limited choices we have..</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="auto" class="">~ cjcjcj</div></div>
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