[Tlhingan-hol] How many grammarians ?

[Will Martin]

When I went to the one qep’a’ that wasn’t in the US, there were Germans there who, while they could speak English, communicated with me in Klingon apparently because they considered their Klingon to be better than their English, and, well, I can count in German and know a few words, but I’ve never had a lesson in its use.

It’s possible to read English well enough to make it through The Klingon Dictionary (TKD), perhaps supplemented by the German edition (which apparently is rife with really bad German translations of the English glosses), all without having a useful, conversational grasp of English. I read and write Klingon far better than I speak it or understand it when listening to it.

The Germans preferred to use Quvar valer ‘utlh as a translator while they spoke German when communicating with English speakers rather than speak English, and when he wasn’t around, they spoke Klingon to us. That’s my evidence that their English must not have been that conversational.

I guess it’s possible that they were fluent in English and just saw this as an opportunity to speak Klingon, while they didn’t consider speaking English something that needed an opportunity, but that’s not how I interpreted it at the time.

Quvar valer ‘utlh turned to me at the end of our week there and remarked that he just realized that he had been speaking French to the locals in Brussels, German to the Germans, English to the Brits and Americans, and Klingon to everyone, but hadn’t spoken any of his native Flemish all week.

pItlh
lojmIt tI'wI'nuv



> On Nov 9, 2015, at 7:48 AM, Anthony Appleyard <a.appleyard at btinternet.com> wrote:
> 
> Have there been any examples where two people (in writing, or in talking) have had to communicate in Klingon because it was the only language which both knew well?
> ----Original message----
> From : elizabeth.lawrence08 at gmail.com
> Date : 09/11/2015 - 12:34 (GMTST)
> 
> > ... Nonetheless, I've seen Marc interpret occasionally ...
> > where he's speaking English and others are speaking Klingon. ...
> 
> 
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