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

[Rohan Fenwick - QeS 'utlh]

jatlhpu' DloraH:
> mebpa'meylIj yIngu'.

vIjangpu', jIjatlh:
> *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.

mujang janSIy, jatlh:
> I would like to remind you that <mebpa'mey> was defined as "hotel" in
> KGT.

No, it was *glossed* as "hotel", and there's a subtle but important distinction. As SuStel has pointed out, the two words refer to the same object, but in English it is thought of as a unit, whereas in Klingon it is conceived of as a number of individual entities.

> Saying <mebpa'meylIj tIngu'> makes it sound like I think you have
> more than one room.

True.

> Saying <mebpa'lIj yIngu'> makes it sound like I want to know your room
> number.

I can see that interpretation too, although I'd think of it moreso if the conversation has already established which guest rooms/hotel/building the single mebpa' is in. What if you're staying in a place that has only one guest room?

QeS
 		 	   		  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://stodi.digitalkingdom.org/pipermail/tlhingan-hol/attachments/20130122/f7a08d38/attachment.html>