On Sat, Jan 13, 2024 at 10:43 PM Will Martin via tlhIngan-Hol <tlhingan-hol@lists.kli.org> wrote:

For that matter, {‘opuH} is somewhat uncommon in terms of phonemes, in that the {-opu-} would more commonly be {‘o’pu-} or {‘op’u}. The syllable division in Klingon is usually between two consonants. So, is this {‘op-uH}, or is it {‘o-puH}? Where do you divide the syllables? It’s like the {p} is the syllable boundary, making it somehow not quite belong to either syllable.

It's "somewhat uncommon" but it's not bizarre. Consider nouns like {pIqaD} and {toDuj}, and even the verb {nughI'}.

I’m don't feel sure I really know how to pronounce this simple word.

It is clearly {'o - puH - wI'}. Syllables begin with a consonant. (The single exception of the vowel-initial morpheme {-oy} might in practice "borrow" the preceding syllable's ending consonant, or end up with an inserted {'} if there isn't a consonant to be borrowed.)

-- ghunchu'wI'