to comma or not to comma ?
I know, that probably there's no Ca'Non for this, but I'll ask anyway. Should I write: raSDaq vIghro' tu'lu' or raSDaq, vIghro' tu'lu' Should I write: pa'Daq vIghro'vaD nIm vIqeng or pa'Daq, vIghro'vaD nIm vIqeng or pa'Daq, vIghro'vaD, nIm vIqeng Should I write vIghro' gha'cher bo'Degh je vIlegh or vIghro', gha'cher, bo'Degh je vIlegh Should I write jISop 'ej jItlhutlh or jISop, 'ej jItlhutlh ~ ncncncc
On 8/16/2019 9:11 AM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
I know, that probably there's no Ca'Non for this, but I'll ask anyway.
Should I write:
raSDaq vIghro' tu'lu' or raSDaq, vIghro' tu'lu'
Should I write:
pa'Daq vIghro'vaD nIm vIqeng or pa'Daq, vIghro'vaD nIm vIqeng or pa'Daq, vIghro'vaD, nIm vIqeng
Should I write
vIghro' gha'cher bo'Degh je vIlegh or vIghro', gha'cher, bo'Degh je vIlegh
Should I write
jISop 'ej jItlhutlh or jISop, 'ej jItlhutlh
It doesn't matter. It really doesn't. 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.) -- SuStel http://trimboli.name
SuStel:
and please include an Oxford comma
I didn't know what an oxford comma is, so I googled it, and found: "a comma used after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before ‘and’ or ‘or’ (e.g. an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect)" However I'm confused, because of the fact that in klingon the "and/or" is always last and doesn't appear before the final noun. The way I understand using the oxford comma in klingon, would be: vIghro', gha'cher, bo'Degh, je vIlegh Is this what you meant, by saying "include an oxford comma" ? SuStel:
Don't use it to show verbal pauses. (If you must show verbal pauses, only do so when reporting dialogue, and use an ellipsis.)
I didn't know either what was an ellipsis in grammar, so googling it, I found: "An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots. Use an ellipsis when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. Ellipses save space or remove material that is less relevant" By saying "verbal pauses" you mean parts of a dialogue where noone speaks, right ? But isn't the ellipsis purpose, to omit words ? ~ ckckckk
On 8/16/2019 10:42 AM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
SuStel:
and please include an Oxford comma
I didn't know what an oxford comma is, so I googled it, and found:
"a comma used after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before ‘and’ or ‘or’ (e.g. an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect)"
However I'm confused, because of the fact that in klingon the "and/or" is always last and doesn't appear before the final noun.
The way I understand using the oxford comma in klingon, would be:
vIghro', gha'cher, bo'Degh, je vIlegh
Is this what you meant, by saying "include an oxford comma" ?
I really meant just for verb/sentence conjunctions. *vIghro', gha'cher, bo'Degh je vIlegh */I see the cat, the goat, and the bird/ (Oxford comma in English but not Klingon) but *vIghro' vIlegh, gha'cher vIje', 'ej bo'Degh vIQoy */I see the cat, I feed the goat, and I hear the bird /(Oxford comma in both English and Klingon) *lalDan noHmeH taghmoHpu' /Oxford comma. /yIyep'eghmoH.* -- SuStel http://trimboli.name
Punctuation marks often have several uses. The ellipsis shows (often meaningful) pauses - especially when accompanied by a distinctive intonation - in dialogue as well as indicating omitted text in a long quotation. In my emails, I try to indicate the latter by putting them in brackets. E.g. “Well… I guess I’ll be leaving now.” "An ellipsis […] is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots. […] Ellipses save space or remove material that is less relevant" Voragh On Behalf Of mayqel qunen'oS SuStel:
Don't use it to show verbal pauses. (If you must show verbal pauses, only do so when reporting dialogue, and use an ellipsis.)
I didn't know either what was an ellipsis in grammar, so googling it, I found: "An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots. Use an ellipsis when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. Ellipses save space or remove material that is less relevant" By saying "verbal pauses" you mean parts of a dialogue where no one speaks, right ? But isn't the ellipsis purpose, to omit words ? ~ ckckckk
participants (3)
-
mayqel qunen'oS -
Steven Boozer -
SuStel