March 2021 - tlhIngan-Hol

New words from Hamletmachine
by Lieven L. Litaer 28 Dec '23

28 Dec '23

For the creation of the play {mu' mu' mu'} by the Dutch theatre company URLAND that premiered on 4th of March 2020, I was asked to translate a German play into Klingon, which was partially used in their play. The play "Die Hamletmaschine" by German author Heiner Müller was written in 1977, is internationally known and has been translated into several languages. During translation work, I got help from Marc Okrand who could discuss some useful information with Maltz. Due to some copyright situations, I cannot publish the translation right now, but I do not want to keep those words hidden until publication until then, so here we go. For a clearer and more "colorful" overview, see the page at the Klingon Language wiki: http://klingon.wiki/En/Hamletmachine Body parts: == Okrand quote == {nev'ob} refers to both the "thigh" and the "upper arm" (above the elbow). Similarly, {reStav} refers to both the "shin" and the "forearm." If it's necessary to make a distinction, precede these words with {'uS} or {DeS}. {cha'neH}, when used alone, means "forearm." But when preceded by {'uS}, it means "lower part of the leg." You could also say {DeS cha'neH} for "forearm," but this would probably be used only in a context where you were talking about both the forearm and the lower leg and wanted to clarify which was which. {reStav} is "shin," meaning the front of the lower leg. (I assume "Schienbein" is "shin bone." {reStav} is more than just the bone. The only way Maltz was aware of for referring to the bone is {reStav Hom}.) {Do'ghI'} is "calf," meaning the back of the lower leg ("Wade," presumably). == Okrand quote end == Clarifying "hang": == Okrand quote == {HuS} takes an object. If your shoes are hanging on a wall it's because somebody hung them there. {HuS} is not used to mean "lynch" or "execute by hanging." That's a different word: {jIb}. (Maltz thought maybe an early form of torture or execution was hanging people by their hair, but he wasn't totally sure about this and may have just been reacting to the homophony.) And there's another word: {tlhep} "be suspended, be dangling." Use {HuS} if, for example, you hang your coat on a hook on the wall or hang sheets on a clothesline to dry. But if, say, you see a spider dangling at the bottom of one of those silk threads that spiders extrude, use {tlhep}. Or if you see a pair of shoes tied together by the laces and, for whatever reason, they're hanging by the tied-together laces from an overhead power wire, use {tlhep}. == Okrand quote end == Okrand agreed that {jIb'egh} is "suicide by hanging". Next, there was a question about a "concubine": == Okrand quote == Maltz thought the best word for this might be {lIwnal}, though maybe not: the cultural connotations are a bit different since, in Klingon culture, everything associated with a {lIwnal} lacks honor, and this is not necessarily the case for a (Terran) king's concubines or courtesans. Note that only married people could have a partner who could be considered a {lIwnal}. Also, {lIwnal} could be male or female, so if it's necessary to distinguish, say {loD lIwnal} or {be' lIwnal}. == Okrand quote end == More words: {ghenlan} - Greenland (country) {qaw'} - flip over {qaw'moH} - flip over (i.e. "make something flip over") {rIv} - split {vIrgh} - rip (up), slash, tear (up), gash {'o'nI'} - foam, froth Not new words, but combined translations: {DeSwar bIr} - refrigerator {jorchan velqa'} - stage decoration {much jech} - costume {much yaH} - stage {qab jech} - mask Transliterations: {qo'qa' qo'la'} - Coca Cola {lIyenIn} - Lenin {maw} - Mao The question for a "stage" was answered with a general statement: == Okrand quote == Any place specifically designated for the performance of a specific task (or tasks) is a {yaH}. A stage is the {yaH} for the performance of plays or, perhaps, music. A football field is the {yaH} for a football game. A laboratory is a scientist's {yaH}. And, of course, on a ship, a {yaH} is a duty station. If context isn't enough to clarify what sort of {yaH} it is, you can say things like {much yaH}, {QoQ yaH}, {tamlerQeD yaH}, etc. == Okrand quote end == There's an idiom for "kill time": {'ebmey jonHa'} Talking about a "virgin", Okrand suggested saying it literally what a virgin is: {pagh ngaghpu'bogh be'} or {not vay' ngaghpu'bogh be'} Doing so, he answered the question if {ngagh} can be used with people. And in case anyone wondered, {jach} is a good verb to describe what a {jajlo' Qa'} does. -- Lieven L. Litaer aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany" http://www.klingonisch.de http://klingon.wiki/En/Hamletmachine

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Maus-words: News from Okrand
by Lieven L. Litaer 13 Mar '23

13 Mar '23

TL;DR: one new word {valqe'} "bat (animal)" Hello my friends, today is the 50-anniversary of a German children sho named "Die Sendung mit der Maus" (i.e. "the show with the mouse"). The topic of this episode was a view into the future, so it was obvious to make a Klingon introduction, of which I am very proud to provide it to them. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRgryUjxWes --------------------------------------------- Not only the TV show, also the podcast version of the entire week needed Klingon introductions, and those caused some problems which were answered by Maltz as follows: Quoted lines are my questions, lines starting with >>> are Okrand's words. --------------------------------------------- > leap year > - A year in which February has 29 days. 2020 was a "leap year". >>> Make use of the phrase {bur DIS}, as in, for example {qatlh bur 'op DISmey?} > bat > - small animal that can fly but is not a bird, looks quite creepy and > can see in the dark due to his sonar voice; sleeps hanging upside down, usually found in caves. >>> The closest Qo'noS equivalent is a flying beast called a {valqe'}. You can decide whether you want to say {tera' valqe'} for purposes of the TV show. > hibernate, overwinter > - what many animals do during the winter; a bear can hibernate. Also > the bats we talk above. They hide in caves and sleep there for a very > long time. [Added information: with bats, and where they overwinter, > (so the word is more about "winter" than "sleep")] >>> Maltz didn't know of any special way to say "overwinter." He said to just say something like {qaStaHvIS qImroq bIrqu', nuqDaq Qong valqe'mey?} if that covers what they're driving at. > material > - There is the word {Hap} "matter" that appears in many materials > (e.g. {Sor Hap} "wood"), but can it be used as "material"? Can I say > {Hapmey} for "several materials"? >>> {Hap} (without {-mey}) should work. > the future > - When I say a phrase like "In the future, nobody will be poor", may I > add {-Daq} to {tuch}? {tuchDaq mamIp}?? Or must it be something like > {qaSDI' tuch}? >>> {qaSDI' tuch} should work. > Can I say {to'waQ wIyIv} for "chewing gum"? >>> There is an idiomatic expression {to'waQ yIv} that means to take some time to consider a matter, but its meaning comes from the fact that {to'waQ} takes a relatively long time to chew (before swallowing), compared to other things you might be chewing, like muscle. It does not follow from this that Klingons chew {to'waQ} for pleasure, just because the flavor lingers longer or because it works off nervous energy. Maybe {req} would be better than {to'waQ} since, if you were to chew {req}, you'd probably be doing it just for the purpose of chewing (and whatever pleasure or benefit that may bring in and of itself), unlike {to'waQ}, which you'd be chewing for the purpose of grinding it up so you could finally swallow it. ------------------------------------- This will be archived at https://qephom.de/e/message_from_maltz.html -- Lieven L. Litaer aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany" http://www.tlhInganHol.com http://klingon.wiki/En/DieSendungMitDerMaus

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pseudo-Klingon words from the paq'batlh
by De'vID 27 May '22

27 May '22

What do people think about the following Klingon "words" from paq'batlh? They don't appear in the main (Klingon-language) text, but are used in otherwise English sentences in the introduction or footnotes. xxii. {Huy'reH} "aria style" xxii, 62, 87. {cha'ang} "chorus style" xvii, xxii, xxxv. {Qich'lut} "narrator style" xix. {paq'jachchu} "Book of the Perfect Scream" {Huy'reH} and {cha'ang}, at least, seem to follow proper modern {tlhIngan Hol} phonology. {Qich'lut} has a lower-cased "i" and an out-of-place {qaghwI'}. {paq'jachchu} has that apostrophe after {paq} and a missing {qaghwI'} at the end (if the {jachchu} part is indeed the verb {jachchu'}, as the English translation seems to indicate). On p.xxx, it is explicitly stated that the name {paq'batlh} is in {no' Hol} and that the apostrophe may be a clue to some missing grammatical element. Of course, the book also has sections named {paq'yav}, {paq'raD}, and {paq'QIH}. So {paq'jachchu} is probably just spelled weirdly for the same reason. Should {Huy'reH} and {cha'ang} be accepted as canon Klingon words as-is? In other words, would you expect them in a new words list? (In particular, I am asking if they should be listed in {boQwI'}.) The word {Qich'lut} is spelled that way all three times it appears in the book. I notice that in previous discussions on this mailing list, 'IQqu' and Voragh have both spelled it as {QIch lut} (capital-I, no apostrophe, space between the two words). Should {QIch lut} be accepted as the "modern" spelling for the purpose of look-up in word lists? -- De'vID

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'op after the noun
by mayqel qunen'oS 04 Apr '22

04 Apr '22

The {'op} is defined as "some, an unknown or unspecified quantity", and in the Ca'Non example of Skybox 7 it is used as {'op SuvwI'} i.e in front of a countable noun which doesn't have the plural suffix. The relevant part of that sentence is: {DujvamDaq 'op SuvwI' tu'lu'bogh po' law' tlhIngan yo' SuvwI' law' po' puS} Suppose we say {'op na'ran Soppu' qeSHoS}. Then this could mean either "the fox ate some/an unspecified quantity of an orange", or "the fox ate some/an unspecified quantity of oranges". Perhaps one could argue that based on the Ca'Non example of the Skybox 7, "the 'op before a singular noun is to be interpreted as referring to a plural number of that noun". But I don't know if one could argue that, since in this Ca'Non example, interpreting the {SuvwI'} as being singular is impossible. Because, if interpreting the {SuvwI'} as being singular was possible, then that would mean that "the klingon vessel pagh has some/an unspecified quantity of a warrior", i.e. on the pagh happen to serve some of the most skilled legs/arms/DaynguHDu'/whatever of a warrior in the klingon fleet. Of course in star trek everything is possible, on the other hand though, I think that one could come to the following conclusion with regards to the {'op}: Placing the {'op} before a countable noun which has no plural suffix, could mean either "some, an unknown or unspecified quantity of that noun (singular)" or "some, an unknown or unspecified quantity of a number of that noun". While placing the {'op} before an uncountable noun can only mean ""some/an unspecified quantity of that noun (singular)". Of course, I don't know for sure if this conclusion would be correct.. But now let's get back to the fox.. If I write {'op na'ranmey Soppu' qeSHoS}, then this obviously means ""the fox ate some/an unspecified quantity of oranges". But my problem is that this is ambiguous in the following way: Did the fox walk in the house, find an unspecified quantity of oranges and ate them all ? Or did the fox walk into the house, found 40 oranges and ate some of them ? And if the fox indeed ate only some of the oranges, then why not write {na'ranmey 'op Soppu' qeSHoS} ? After all, we *can* write {pItSa' HochHom Soppu' vIghro' tIQ} for "the ancient cat ate almost all of the pizza". ~ Qa'yIn

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some more from Maltz
by Lieven L. Litaer 03 Apr '21

03 Apr '21

Summary: - new word {yI'var} = "therapy" - difference between {DIng} and {jIr} clarified - expanded meaning of {yer ghajwI' chaw'} Hello my dear friends, during a conversation with Marc Okrand, he has revealed some interesting details on some words, even giving us one new useful word. The entire message is also archived on qepHom.de: http://www.qephom.de/e/message_from_maltz_210322_another_project.html -- begin of message -------------------------------------------- Hi, Lieven — Okay.... here we go... ------------ LL: "partner" - Can {qoch} really work as a "business partner"? It sounds weird to me. MO: Thinking like a Klingon, will making use of {boq} ("alliance, coalition" / "ally with") work? ----------- LL: "therapy" - In the sense of "a procedure to heal somebody". I'm confused that I'm not finding anything. Of course I could say {rachmeH mIw}, but maybe there's an option? The sentence is something like using a name "The Dr-Maltz-Therapy will be successful" but also describing the method: "We present to you the fluoride-therapy." or "the magnetic therapy" or "ultraviolet light therapy" and so on. MO: Perhaps you can just go with {X mIw}, where X is fluoride, magnet, ultraviolet light, etc., as long as it will always be clear from context that {mIw} refers to a health/therapeutic procedure or treatment. If context isn't enough to make things clear, then I'll bother Maltz some more. LL: This could be confusing with the existing word {porgh mIw}, whatever that could be. MO: I don't know what "body therapy" would be either, but I do see how {porgh mIw} could make this confusing. So instead of using {mIw}, go with {yI'var} "treatment, therapy." ----------- LL: What is the difference between {jIr} and {DIng}? MO: Though there's some overlap, {DIng} is generally used for things spinning or rotating continuously or for a long time, while {jIr} is used when the thing rotates partially or once or for a few times. (So you'd use {jIr} or {jIrmoH} for what you might be doing with the steering wheel while the car's tires {DIng}.) ----------- LL: Do I understand correctly that {pIn} means "boss" as in the opposite of employee? "My boss tells me what to do". Right? MO: The short answer is yes, but there doesn't have to be an employer-employee relationship. The {pIn} is the person in charge of something or in control of something. ----------- LL: "patented" as in "The company has unique and patented products." MO: Believe it or not, you can use {yer ghajwI' chaw'}. In Klingon Monopoly, this was used for "title deed," but it can apply to things other than land or property or real estate — it just means the legally recognized right to control something (land, yes, but also technology and perhaps other things). It is often shortened to {yer chaw'}. {yer chaw'}, of course, is a noun. Verbs commonly used when {yer chaw'} is the object are {Suq}, {ghaj}, and even {much}. ----------- LL: "support" - {ngaq} is labeled as "military term" in TKD. Is there a different noun for mental support, as in getting help from "software support" or "personal support"? MO: {boQ} could work. Maybe also {vuy} "be helpful, supportive." ----------- LL: "health" as a noun. This is not a verb in a sentence, it talks about "health products", "personal health" and "Health is important", even stands alone "health". MO: Have you tried wrestling with {pIv} (and constructing short phrases)? [After talking about this, we agreed that {porgh Dotlh} is a good solution for this, although it's not a direct translation for "health".] ----------- LL: product: - A thing that is produced and then sold. The company has several "products". MO: How about {vIqraq}? {vIqraq} is defined as "artifact, work of art," but it's further clarified as: "handicraft, gizmo, gadget, contraption, machine, device, etc. That is, it refers to something manufactured or made." So I think it could be used for a "product" (assuming the product was something physical). ----------- It's not the middle of the night, but, as usual, if you see any typos or anything else weird, let me know. - Marc -- end of message -------------------------------------------- In addition to the above, we talked on the phone to find some solutions. - To talk about a motorcycle, Okrand confirmed that this counts as a land vehicle, i.e. a {puH Duj}. Although a motorcycle looks like a bike, you cannot say {qam Do Duj} because it definitely goes faster than {qam Do}. He accepted my wording {cha' rutlh puH Duj} as "Yes, you can say that". In addition to that, {SeD} would be the verb for riding/driving a motorcycle. - A long and complicated discussion about what would be the best verb for controlling/using a device ended with Okrand's suggestion that {lo'} is probably the most useful verb, avoiding the entire discussion. -- Lieven L. Litaer aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany" http://www.tlhInganHol.com http://klingon.wiki/En/Maltz

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difference between someone somebody and vay'
by mayqel qunen'oS 01 Apr '21

01 Apr '21

In English you have "someone" and "somebody". In the alien language of Klingon (which is so alien that is crawling with terran puns), we have: {vay'} (n) "somebody, something, anybody, anything". Now, in this page: https://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/difference-between-someone-and-somebo… We read the following: ***** quote start ***** Someone and somebody are both pronouns that are used to refer a person who is not known or specified. In most contexts, they are interchangeable. The only difference that most native speakers can agree upon is that someone is more formal than somebody (just as anyone is more formal than anybody, and everyone is more formal than everybody). This means that in a sentence like the one below, used in a legal context, someone is a much more likely choice than somebody. The bank requires that the deed be signed by someone authorized by the courts. It’s also interesting to note that someone is used more frequently than somebody, according to the data that we have on language use. ***** quote end ***** One could wonder, whether in the alien language of Klingon (which is so alien that is crawling with terran puns), the {vay'} has the same "informal" character as in English. On the other hand though, perhaps we shouldn't draw conclusions with regards to Klingon based on observations from English. It's such an alien language after all.. ~ Dana'an Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites..

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Klingon Word of the Day: 'al
by Klingon Word of the Day 31 Mar '21

31 Mar '21

Klingon Word of the Day for Thursday, March 11, 2021 Klingon word: 'al Part of speech: verb Definition: float (in/on air) Source: qepHom 2016 This Klingon Word of the Day is brought to you by qurgh (qurgh(a)kli.org)

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Klingon Word of the Day: ghubDaQ
by Klingon Word of the Day 31 Mar '21

31 Mar '21

Klingon Word of the Day for Tuesday, March 30, 2021 Klingon word: ghubDaQ Part of speech: noun Definition: first born child, firstborn Source: HQ (9:3 p8) This Klingon Word of the Day is brought to you by qurgh (qurgh(a)kli.org)

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Klingon Word of the Day: qempa'
by Klingon Word of the Day 31 Mar '21

31 Mar '21

Klingon Word of the Day for Wednesday, March 31, 2021 Klingon word: qempa' Part of speech: noun Definition: ancestor Source: TKD This Klingon Word of the Day is brought to you by qurgh (qurgh(a)kli.org)

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who's the lucky one?
by mayqel qunen'oS 31 Mar '21

31 Mar '21

Although years have passed since the following discussion, I still can't decide who's the lucky one. 'op ben, maja'chuqpu' jIH wa' nuv je, 'ej lalDan luboppu' mu'maj. yIn veb luboppu'. ghaHvaD jIjatlhpu': < Heghpu'DI' nuv, tagh latlh yIn 'e' vIHar. > jangpu' latlh nuv: < Heghpu'DI' nuv, pagh tu'lu' 'e' vIHar.. > ngugh jIjatlhpu': < qaghal.. Suto'vo'qor ghe''or je DaQepbe'. 'a chaq tagha' ghe''or vI'el 'ej 'e' vIHaj. > 'a jIHvaD jangpu': < bImuj, mayqel; qaghel *jIH*; jIyIntaHvIS, HeghwIj vIloS.. 'a jIHeghpu'DI', latlh yIn tu'lu' 'e' vIHarlaHbe'mo', jItullaHbe'.. > ghIq vanpu' ja'chuqghachvam.. qaStaHvIS DISmey veb, pIj ja'chuqghachvam vIqawpu', 'a wej Do'bejbogh nuv vIngu'laH.. ~ Dana'an

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