[Tlhingan-hol] "where are you from?"

[David Trimboli]

On 1/21/2013 1:57 PM, David Holt wrote:
> From: qeslagh at hotmail.com <mailto:qeslagh at hotmail.com>
>  > jang DloraH, jatlh:
>  >> mebpa'meylIj yIngu'.
>
>  > *tI*ngu'. Though I think the singular might be preferable here
> (mebpa'lIj yIngu'),
>  > since it's rare for one person to occupy more than one guest room.
>
>  > QeS
> I would like to remind you that <mebpa'mey> was defined as "hotel" in
> KGT.  Saying <mebpa'meylIj tIngu'> makes it sound like I think you have
> more than one room.  Saying <mebpa'lIj yIngu'> makes it sound like I
> want to know your room number.  However, the entries in KGT make it look
> like <mebpa'meylIj yIngu'> means "Identify your hotel".  Though
> personally I would prefer <mebpa'lIj qach yIngu'>.

mebpa'mey
hotel

The word {mebpa'mey} refers to multiple guest rooms, and it also refers 
to the building that contains multiple guest rooms. It is a plural word. 
"Hotel" is simply a translation into English, and the grammar of the 
translation does not equal the grammar of the original. You cannot say 
{mebpa'meylIj yIngu'}; you must say {mebpa'meylIj tIngu'}.

The Klingon word does not distinguish between your having multiple rooms 
and having one hotel. It's just one of those ambiguities you have to 
live with. If you want to be clear that you're talking about a hotel and 
not a random set of rooms, you could say {mebpa'mey qach}, but that 
would be rather like saying "hamburger sandwich" (a phrase my co-workers 
think is extremely funny).

-- 
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/