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Re: Klingon grammar

From:Ph. D. <phild@...>
Date:Saturday, January 3, 2004, 1:37
Mark J. Reed wrote:
>
> On Fri, Jan 02, 2004 at 07:15:49PM -0500, Ph. D. wrote: > > Okrand's book _The Klingon Dictionary_ seems > > to have the only discussion of grammar. But it's > > very basic. It doesn't get into complex sentences > > (relative clauses, etc.) Since there are two groups > > translating the bible into Klingon and others > > translating Shakespeare, I would assume a more > > complete grammar has been developed. But I'm > > not aware of any books with a more complete > > grammar. > > Nope; those groups are making use of the grammar as laid > out in TKD. There have been some clarifications to it in other books > and interviews with Dr. Okrand, but no additions to the grammar itself, > only to vocabulary. Klingon grammar generally eschews complexity and > therefore arguably doesn't need a deeper treatment (though perhaps a
better
> one could be written); however, it *does* have relative clauses, and they > are covered in the original TKD. Look up the verbal suffix -bogh.
I just happen to have a copy of TKD handy. You are correct. It does cover relative clauses. How did I miss that? I stand corrected. My friend has a favorite scene from the original Star Trek. It's when a Klingon commander has been captured by the Federation, and he says sarcastically to Capt. Kirk, "You have filled my heart with peace!" How would you say that in Klingon? Something like "tIqwIj rojmo''e' Datebpu' "? --Ph. D.

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Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>