It’s been bugging me for a few days now that the most common way in Klingon to introduce one’s name is to use « pong » as a noun and not a verb, when most languages (that I know of) offer the possibility to introduce one’s name directly with a specific verb (« I am called + name »)
So I’ve checked the page on this topic on Klingonwiki.net, and now have 2 questions:
1/ On Klingonwiki, one solution for using « pong » as a verb is to do it in the passive voice, as below:
jIHvaD Quvar ponglu'
I am being called Quvar.
Literally, this is “For me(/to talk to me), call Quvar”.
But since in this example the person being called is “me”, and "Quvar" is only what I'm called, then instead of using < jIHvaD Quvar ponglu’ > can we also say:
< Quvar vIponglu’ > - “I am called Quvar”?
Kind of like the “prefix trick” I read about elsewhere on the Klingonwiki?
2/ Can we use a pronominal / reflexive verb?
In French, we have lots of pronominal verbs (verbs that are accompanied by a reflexive pronoun, for example “s’asseoir” (=to sit) literally means “to sit oneself”, or “se lever” (to get up/stand up) is literally “to get oneself up”)
So if someone says “je m’appelle Quvar” for “I am called Quvar”, what it literally means is “I call myself Quvar”.
Thus, in Klingon, can we use a similar structure?
< Quvar jIpong’egh > -- I call myself Quvar
Please let me know what you think :)
Thanks in advance!
~mughwI'