Peer Review

[El Payaso Malo]

I am new to Klingon, but I have been studying for a few months. My vocabulary is unimpressive, but is improving. This is a request for a review of my grammar and syntax by an experienced grammarian (perhaps Terrence, your site has been a help filling in a few pieces implemented after the dictionary and I've even translated a few songs following your example that I will post if you feel like reviewing my work). The following is a poem I wrote over a span of about three days, but I am wondering if it is garbled gibberish or if it actually has artistic merit. I used some Klingon slang and a few bits that were unneeded (like 'e' in the last line) simply for the sake of making it more flowery and poetic. I can post what I feel is a decent English translation by request. Thank you for your time.

"bang lujpu’ghachvam’e’"

be’ vIDuQbe’
‘IQtaHghach toywI’’a’ jIH
QIt ‘Iw peD tIqwIj
jach qa’wIj
letmoHlu’taHvIS ‘aDDu’wIj
jIbachHa’pu’
be’vaD bang’a’wIj vI’angta’neSDI’
parmaqwIj lajbe’
parmaqqay ghajmo’
jupHeywI’ ghaH ‘ej vIneHbej
jub ‘oy’wIj
ngIm qabwIj ‘ej tuHtaHghachmo’ vIchech
Hoch jaj jIvangbe’ ‘e’ vIpaybej
jIHegh ‘e’ vIneH


(bomvaD QuchHa' qonta'neS jaSwa')

[ter'eS]

I will take you at your word that you are warrior enough to accept constructive criticism.

Not bad at all for a few month's time.

"bang lujpu’ghachvam’e’"

Be aware that bang means only "lover", not "love". I'm not sure if you meant "Lover's failure" or "love's failure" here.  Also, 'e' has specific grammatical uses and isn't just an ornament; I don't see a need for it in your title.

be’ vIDuQbe’
‘IQtaHghach toywI’’a’ jIH

maj.

QIt ‘Iw peD tIqwIj

peD is only attested as the noun "snow", so this sentence has no verb. You could try SIS "to rain": QIt 'Iw SIS tIqwIj. "My heart slowly rains blood."
 

jach qa’wIj
letmoHlu’taHvIS ‘aDDu’wIj
jIbachHa’pu’

Don't be afraid to use punctuation. I can't tell which sentence your middle phrase goes with, the first or the last. If the first, be aware that some would say a subordinate phrase must always precede the main phrase. I personally have no problem with this in more poetic usages, but I should point out that in everyday use, this is "wrong".

In the phrase letmoHlu’taHvIS ‘aDDu’wIj, I think I would prefer letchoHtaHvIS "while becoming hard" as being slightly more direct. If you want to keep the -lu', then ‘aDDu’wIj needs to come before the verb, since the "subject" in -lu' sentences actually occupies the grammatical slot of object.

be’vaD bang’a’wIj vI’angta’neSDI’

bang is a person; what you want here is parmaq "love (as a noun)" (unless you meant "When I showed the woman my great lover", in which case, no wonder she rejected you!). Also, while its use isn't well-documented, it seems most likely that -neS is only appropriate when you are directly addressing someone you wish to show honor.  It would only be appropriate here if your sentence was something like "Dear Reader, when I showed her my heart...".

parmaqwIj lajbe’
parmaqqay ghajmo’
jupHeywI’ ghaH ‘ej vIneHbej

"She is my apparent friend and I definitely want that"? If you meant "I don't want her to be an apparent friend", then you need 'e' (except see below!) instead of 'ej and vIneHbe' instead of vIneHbej. 

jub ‘oy’wIj

maj

ngIm qabwIj ‘ej tuHtaHghachmo’ vIchech

Not wrong, but stylistically, I try to avoid using -ghach too much. Wouldn't  jItuHmo' vIchech work just as well?

Hoch jaj jIvangbe’ ‘e’ vIpaybej

maj.

jIHegh ‘e’ vIneH

Repeating what I said above, 'e' with neH isn't an option, it's just wrong (my theory is that, among "real Klingons", neH is on its way to becoming a verb suffix: *jIvangneH).

(bomvaD QuchHa' qonta'neS jaSwa')

The suffix -vaD actually goes on the adjective verb in a noun-adjective phrase: bom QuchHa'vaD; although I don't think you need the suffix. Are you saying "jaSwa' composed this sad song"?.  If so, bom QuchHa' is the object and doesn't need a suffix.  Also, I think -neS is inappropriate here, and you don't really need -ta', since we can infer from context that you're finished ([-ta'] and [-pu'] don't indicate past tense, they indicate that, at the time of your main action, the action they describe was/is/will be finished).

Don't be disheartened. You have a very solid grasp of grammar and vocabulary, and I enjoyed your work.

[El Payaso Malo]

I thank you for your assistance. It is greatly appreciated. First, I was under the impression that bang meant both love as a concept and a loved individual. My problem was that every instance that I've found is that there is no verb that means "to love" (similar to muS it being a verb and not a noun) as everything that I've found indicates that both parmaq and bang were nouns only. I was going for something like "This Failure Of Love" and -'e' I was using in this instance for superfluous emphasis (similar to poetic emotional hyperbole) but I agree that it is better in the body and not the title.

For this instance, I mainly used the Klingon Dictionary. In both (Klingon to English and back again) sides of it, it says that peD is a verb and does not mention it as a noun. I had later thought of using "rain," but I already had one Slayer reference ("Hardening Of The Arteries" from H ell Awaits) without mentioning "Raining Blood" from Reign in Blood (I'm not sure how much you know about 1980's thrash metal). I chose peD because it was a unique mental image for me, and the tlhIngan mu'ghom said it was a predicate, so I figured it would fit. Is this a typographical error that was retconned later?

I didn't use punctuation because Klingon has no official punctuation, and in poet mode I tend to eschew it (regardless of language). However, I may use it occasionally to make things clearer. I used that construction to both be more poetic and to have one concept on a separate line (because it was indeed referring to the "screams" bit). I wanted to indicate that they were occurring simultaneously. Regardless, my syntax apparently needs work when I use the "indefinite subject" suffix.

Again, bang is in the dictionary as "love, one who is loved," so I figured that bang and parmaq could be used more or less as synonyms (with parmaq being specifically romantic and parmaqqay being a lover). I figured the varied word usage would add to the richness of the poetry. With the -neS suffix, I know of its optional usage in address to a superior, but I was using it as in HIvneS and HubneS, attempting to indicate my honorable intentions and politeness used as the performer of the action. I was thinking as a poetic innovator (using Shakespeare as my model; he would break grammatical rules, make up words and cheat for the sake of his art) and used a convention for the sake of exhibition and eloquence, even if it was somewhat incorrect in "normal" usage. Examples from the dictionary: tlhonmey (used by poets to create a certain mood) and rIntaH (used for dramatic effect even if an action could be undone). These are described as rules that are broken for the sake of atmosphere or narrative and I used these as examples for my usage.

"She is my apparent friend and I definitely want her" is closer to what I was going for. Perhaps I should have used ghaH to make it clearer?

I also don't like using -ghach very often, but the grammatical sketch described -mo' as a noun suffix, so I turned the verb to a noun. I had forgotten the addendum where -mo' is also made into a verb suffix. Thank you.

With 'e' at the end, I used that only the make the last line be five syllables long. Perhaps it could be omitted, but I felt the need to put it there. I could possibly use a suffix such as -lI' instead.

The thing at the end I tacked on as a way to sign my work. Unfortunately, I had little sleep so my syntax makes little sense (it's almost "Yoda speak.") I used bom because I could not find a word that means "poem," and I considered using bomqoq to reflect my distaste. My usage of -neS was again used here as my poetic inclination to indicate my positive belief in my expression, but I concede that in makes little sense outside of the main text. Again, I blame that on fatigue.

The fact that you took time to evaluate my work and enjoyed it (however incoherent it may be) means a lot to me, as I hold you in high regard. Thank you.

[ter'eS]

For this instance, I mainly used the Klingon Dictionary. In both (Klingon to English and back again) sides of it, it says that peD is a verb and does not mention it as a noun.

Huh, you're right. I use my own copy of the TKD for everyday use, and I copied the part of speech wrong. So, never mind, peD is perfectly fine.

Again, bang is in the dictionary as "love, one who is loved," so I figured that bang and parmaq could be used more or less as synonyms (with parmaq being specifically romantic and parmaqqay being a lover).

I can't cite you chapter and verse, but I'm sure that it's been established that bang refers only to persons.

With the -neS suffix, I know of its optional usage in address to a superior, but I was using it as in HIvneS and HubneS, attempting to indicate my honorable intentions and politeness used as the performer of the action.

I don't recall the examples from which you cite HIvneS and HubneS.  All the examples of -neS I can think of use it in direct address, to show honor to the person spoken to, as if it adds the phrase "Your Honor" to the sentence. It was never used to indicate the speaker's personal honor.  Your use of it here feels really weird.

With 'e' at the end, I used that only the make the last line be five syllables long. Perhaps it could be omitted, but I felt the need to put it there. I could possibly use a suffix such as -lI' instead.

I can only repeat that TKD states explicitly that you don't use 'e' with neH.

[El Payaso Malo]

bang does indeed seem to refer mainly to people, and the only plural used for it that I can find seems to be bangpu' (none of that from canon sources, however). It's meaning as the concept of love is readily apparent in compound words such as bang bom and bang pong (more in the former than the latter, but apparent in both nonetheless). However, I will confine my usage to the commonly accepted restricted meaning until a cannon source confirms or denies my suspicions. I am the learner, after all, and I respect those that came before me.

HIvneS and HubneS are both described in Klingon for the Galactic Traveler page 49. I don't actually have this book nor have I even looked in it, but trust me, it's there. The point is, these words describe actions that are not necessarily addressed to someone. In the dictionary (I have a physical copy and PDF version, which lets me search things quickly ), it has this to say:

4.2.8. Type 8: Honorific
{-neS} <honorific>
There is but one suffix in this category. It is used to express
extreme politeness or deference. It is used only in addressing
a superior, someone of higher rank in the Klingon social,
political, or military hierarchy. It is never required.
{qaleghneS} <I am honored to see you> ({legh} <see>)
{HIja'neS} <do me the honor of telling me> ({ja'} <tell>)

I assume that later works would supercede any rules contradicted, yes? Similar to when adverbs (except for one) were said to come at the beginning of the sentence, only to be expanded upon in the addendum in 1992 to come before the main clause. Of course, I will also restrict my usage of this suffix until I get a good look at KGT page 49. I still feel that I can misuse this one a little, simply for a certain affect. I would do this rarely so that it does not lose its significance, and not to the degree that I have done here. When I read English poetry, I notice words or phrases that seem intentionally misused. I am a stickler for proper grammar and pronunciation, but I am not above experimenting for the sake of art, even if that means that some rules get bent a little. However, I must keep these instances to a minimum in my work, because I am no where near fluent and I don't yet comprehend all of the nuances of Klingon, which I actually like more than I do English (grammatical gender neutrality is a big part of this).

As far as neH and 'e' are concerned, I knew that that was improper before I used it, but I also knew that it would not change the meaning, it would simply look awkward. It simply looked and felt like it fit there. I'll probably end up replacing it in the final draft, anyway, as I'm sure that I can find a replacement to get the extra syllable that I need and still have to flow that I seek. I tell you, you've been the biggest help that I've had. I have a few quick questions, though. Does DeSqIv ever actually refer to a part of someone's body, or just a pot handle? Also, I've heard that the mostly accepted plural to qoq is qoqmey. I assume that qoq is the best word with which to describe Data. If you were to describe Data and Lore, would qoqpu' be appropriate?

[ter'eS]

bang does indeed seem to refer mainly to people, and the only plural used for it that I can find seems to be bangpu' (none of that from canon sources, however). It's meaning as the concept of love is readily apparent in compound words such as bang bom and bang pong (more in the former than the latter, but apparent in both nonetheless). However, I will confine my usage to the commonly accepted restricted meaning until a cannon source confirms or denies my suspicions. I am the learner, after all, and I respect those that came before me.

bang bom = "song of the lover"; bang pong = "name for the lover". bang doesn't refer mainly to people, it refers only to people.
 

HIvneS and HubneS are both described in Klingon for the Galactic Traveler page 49. I don't actually have this book nor have I even looked in it, but trust me, it's there. The point is, these words describe actions that are not necessarily addressed to someone. In the dictionary (I have a physical copy and PDF version, which lets me search things quickly ), it has this to say:

4.2.8. Type 8: Honorific
{-neS} <honorific>
There is but one suffix in this category. It is used to express
extreme politeness or deference. It is used only in addressing
a superior, someone of higher rank in the Klingon social,
political, or military hierarchy. It is never required.
{qaleghneS} <I am honored to see you> ({legh} <see>)
{HIja'neS} <do me the honor of telling me> ({ja'} <tell>)

I assume that later works would supercede any rules contradicted, yes? Similar to when adverbs (except for one) were said to come at the beginning of the sentence, only to be expanded upon in the addendum in 1992 to come before the main clause. Of course, I will also restrict my usage of this suffix until I get a good look at KGT page 49. I still feel that I can misuse this one a little, simply for a certain affect. I would do this rarely so that it does not lose its significance, and not to the degree that I have done here. When I read English poetry, I notice words or phrases that seem intentionally misused. I am a stickler for proper grammar and pronunciation, but I am not above experimenting for the sake of art, even if that means that some rules get bent a little. However, I must keep these instances to a minimum in my work, because I am no where near fluent and I don't yet comprehend all of the nuances of Klingon, which I actually like more than I do English (grammatical gender neutrality is a big part of this).

Here's what KGT, p. 49 has to say:

  "The honorific verb suffix -neS, usually used when addressing a superior, is also used when the verb refers to a suicide attack of some kind: HIvneS, awkwardly translated as "honor-attack", implies that suicide is part of the plan of attack. Similarly, HubneS ("honor-defend") is used only when suicide is part of the defense plan."

I have never seen these words used anywhere else. I can't even tell from this description whether they remain verbs.  Without further guidance from Marc Okrand, I wouldn't even use -neS in this fashion with any other verb than the two mentioned.  At any rate, this seems to me to be a very specific usage. I suppose this does mean that you could refer to yourself using -neS, as in ngech vIHubneS, "I will defend the valley (and plan to die in the defense)" - something the Spartans might have said, for example, but to me it's waaay too big a stretch to claim that this highly specific and highly restricted usage now means that suffix -neS can be used to impute honor to onself. That is, after all, what batlh is for: batlh bangwI'vaD parmaqwIj vI'ang.

As far as neH and 'e' are concerned, I knew that that was improper before I used it, but I also knew that it would not change the meaning, it would simply look awkward. It simply looked and felt like it fit there. I'll probably end up replacing it in the final draft, anyway, as I'm sure that I can find a replacement to get the extra syllable that I need and still have to flow that I seek.

It doesn't look awkward; it looks wrong.

If I tell you something that is a fact, and not a matter of opinion or style, and you continue to dispute it, either you don't trust me, in which case I am not the teacher for you; or all you really want is someone to rubber-stamp your questionable usages, in which case you are not the student for me.

No one put a gun to your head and said "Write Klingon poetry".  If you're going to write in something you claim is Klingon, then follow the rules. At the very least, the other users of Klingon out there do not have access to the inside of your head, and if you write something non-standard, no one but you is going to know what you mean by it. I personally have very little patience for people who break grammar rules and claim "poetic license".  Say you want to write poetry in French, and you write ungrammatically because of "poetic license" - well, good luck with that.  Show us that you know the rules, and consistently follow the rules long enough until you've earned the right to break them.

[El Payaso Malo]

I don't want you to get that impression. I was simply stating my reasoning, and I concede that I was wrong. I do not claim poetic licence (or if it seemed that I was, I apologize), simply that I was experimenting for poetic purposes; however you are right that I should wait until my skills of rhetoric are much greater. I am not here to dispute things. In fact, the only thing that I've been right about (as far as my mistakes that I appealed) is "snow." If I state my interpretation of something that appears vague to me (no matter how sure I sound), I am prepared for you to either agree with me or shoot my assumption full of holes. I know how inexperienced I am, and I respect seniority. I mean, I didn't break many rules, did I? For the most part, I stuck to cut and dry Klingon and only intentionally broke a few rules (which I am prepared to cease or at least alter my approach drastically). If I had been actually conversing, I would have stuck to what I knew was right and either not used bits that I didn't understand or ask for proper usage. As far as writing poetry, I do it because Klingon gives me a range of expression unlike English, and because it gives me examples of text that can be reviewed (barring subordinate clauses that I've moved around, of course). My hope is to be able to read and write in Klingon (prose as well as poetry), and I want to write a book and hopefully read Hamlet. I hope to write things that I can be proud of. I am proud that I did better than this guy (at least I hope I did as I couldn't even read it): http://www.angelfire.com/ak/bhagwandave/pklingon.html. If you believe that I'm here to break rules and claim poetic license, then I apologize (although it does look that way upon a rereading, that was not my intention; I was merely stating my flawed reasoning and what I was trying to convey with my (misguided) usage). If you would like to end this correspondence, I will be disappointed but I will accept it and continue to study independently (although I won't get much farther than this, as I've realized). I used -neS instead of batlh because I did not want to indicate personal honor, simply honorable intentions and politeness, however it's strict usage as a form of address would make my usage laughably hapless and cringeworthy. I brought up bang more than necessary and I will alter my approach so that it seems less argumentative (because that is not my intention). If you want to continue helping me, that is.

(I did like your reference to French poetry, as one of the most famous (to me, anyway) French "poets" was Nostradamus, who used poor grammar and mixed lexicons together frequently in his "prophetic" quatrains (although he did it to conceal his meaning, not enhance it). It is probably irrelevant, but that's what it made me think of.)

"HISIQqang"

jIHvaD punglIj Danob 'e' qaqoy'lI'
reH bong jIthlIbbejmo' QeHlIj jIHev
tugh jItuHmoH'eghmo'pu'chugh HIvup
pIj SoH po' law' jIH po' puS 'e' jIchID
chIch jIHoH'egh 'e' poQlaw' batlhqoqwIj

I just wrote this. I did not (intentionally) break any grammar rules, and I feel it is relevent. I used cha'logh vagh (it is not as easy as I thought it would be, but it is a good form and I like it), and I believe it is relevent.

[ter'eS]

It's not you, it's me. I did think you were being obstinate about not accepting my words on bang and -neS, but mainly I am angry at myself for breaking my own rule. I seem to be becoming a curmudgeon and getting far too worked up over trivialities, and I had decided not to do grammar critiques anymore.  In retrospect, I think this was a good decision, and I should have stuck with it.

Good luck with Klingon. You show promise. I suggest you  join the Klingon Language Institute mailing list; they will be glad to help you. I'm just not up to critiquing other people's work anymore.

[El Payaso Malo]

I understand. While I regret that, you remain my personal hero in Klingon linguistics and I will strive to meet or exceed the example that you set on your website, which I find eloquent and entertaining, if not essential to the beginner's literature intake. However, would you be willing to answer questions here and there, such as the placement of a word or proper usage? I plan on joining the KLI when it is convenient, but for now I must rely on my peers and my own intuition. Despite cutting your review of my progress short, you have taught me much already and shown me that taking too many liberties with a language that is not well established can be detrimental to linguistic progress. I would still like to show you my work and I will gladly accept any tips that you may have for me to better my skills, but the main point would be to share what I have. I understand where you are coming from and I respect your decision. Thank you for taking the time that no one else would. I am forever in your debt.

Hochlogh Daquvmohlu'jaj, jatlhwI' po'qu'.
ter'eS mupwI' yI'uchtaH.

[QoghtlhIH'u']

Hi ter'eS and El Payaso Malo,

Although I am tempted to comment on the discussion between the two of you I am not going to because I've been there. For me too ter'eS is a hero in Klingon linguistics as well as he is very creative and productive and entertaining as evidenced by the Lego Klingon movies.

Maybe one of you would be so kind to publish the revised version of the poem "bang lujpu’ghachvam’e’"?

It surprises me, by the way, that most contributions in this forum in the Klingon language are in the form of poetry. I myself don't have that urge at all, to write Klingon poetry I mean.
I wrote the rather silly comedy quv 'Iwchab je http://homepages.ipact.nl/~kroki/quviwchab.html
 (revised many times because it was critized on this forum) and I started on a longer story.

I also made a small application to be able to write faster in tlhIngan Hol without having to push three buttons for tlh or two for I or two for ng and so on. It is very comfortable to be able to write in Klingon this way. I wonder how the two of you cope with that?

QoghtlhIH'u'

[El Payaso Malo]

I will revise it soon. I started with poetry because I can write short snippets as practice. As I increase in skill, I will move on to more elaborate poetry and short stories. I am writing a novel in which a group of characters speak only Klingon (possibly anachronistically, I haven't decided yet), sort of like practice before I do a full novel (in which my main character is "mayqal"). I would love to check out your comedy "Honor and Blood Pie." It sounds interesting. Personally, I like the short story on Klorax's sons, and the  joke "Set phaser banks... to stun," gave me a jolly good chuckle.

[QoghtlhIH'u']

quv 'Iwchab je: if you move the mouse over the Klingon lines the translation in Federation Standard shows as a tooltip.


quv 'Iwchab je started when I investigated the differences between the meaning and use of quv, batlh and -neS.

The short story tlhoraQ puqloDpu' lut  is the longest story in Klingon about Klingons as far as I know. I have read it a dozen times just to practice reading the language.
Other longer works in Klingon are translations of existing material and not about Klingons. Frankly, I don't bother reading those, but that is a matter of taste.
We'll see which one of us finishes his story first to set a new record for writing the longest Klingon story (which complies to the grammar) !
Qapla'
 

[El Payaso Malo]

Yes, excellent site, that one. I don't know of a better site for learning Klingon (barring the Klingon "Wiktionary" and the Klingon "Wikipedia").

Now Hamlet was translated to be about Klingon themes as opposed to human, with things like the English ambassador being changed to an ambassador from Earth. That doesn't count as a(n albeit adapted) Klingon story about Klingons?

I have an idea about:

vIlayQan ngIH puqloD raq tuq. vIlayQan loDnI' ghaH raq. tlhIngan Hubbeq Sogh ghaH vIlayQan. tera' DIS 2378 boghpu' 'ej wejmaH wa' ben boghpu'. tlhIngan wo'vaD yuQjIjDIvI' 'ejyo' je Suv.

Just a concept. There would be secondary characters like raq, muS, QeHmoQ, baS'ugh, Sorgh, molta', voQ, vang and Qoj, plus Flygron's (vIlayQan) human brother-in-law named Angus ('engghuS). That will be much later when my skills have increased. My brief concept pitch is probably rife with laughable grammatical errors. The protagonist would have to live up to the deeds of his legendary ancestor of the same name while dealing with being at war with former allies, a culture he has grown to respect and partially embrace. It would feature a very progressive Klingon house (for example, an ancestor started the tradition of allowing daughters to supercede younger sons in house leadership, much like modern Earth and the suffrage movement), but is still very traditional (as far as following the teachings of Kahless and retaining emphases on combat, honor, honesty and loyalty). The House of Rahk would be both partially ridiculed for its differences in politics but at the same time revered for the many excellent warriors produced from this lineage. Like I said, just an idea that I've rattled around.

I like your joke on the homophones jIH and jIH. The homophones of Klingon at first annoyed me (I wanted all meaning to be unambiguous for some reason), but then I realized the potential for interesting puns. I ran into a problem. I was going to try to translate the dialogue to the film Night of the Hunter, but homophones got in the way of the title: wamwI' ram can mean both "Night of the Hunter" and "The Unimportant Hunter," which seems like a problem. Maybe wamwI' ram'e' would fix it? I'm not sure.

[QoghtlhIH'u']

The homophones of Klingon at first annoyed me

Naturally, because you would expect a "Designed Language" to be perfect in some way, which also means no homophones. Somewhere Okrand explains that he did this on purpose to create a "natural language" effect.

I don't know of a better site for learning Klingon

I would not rely on any website for learning Klingon. The Okrand books and tapes are the standard. The different websites do not really add much, most of what I have seen.
The problem is that Okrand did not produce, to my knowledge, any lengthy texts. The longest texts I know are those of the Skybox cards, from which one can deduce some additional grammar not explicitly mentioned in TKD or KGT or TKW or PK or CK, assuming you know the abbreviations.

That doesn't count as a(n albeit adapted) Klingon story about Klingons?

It is just my petty vision about the Klingon language that I prefer stories in Klingon about Klingons that are not mere translations and/or adaptations of Terran stories.
 The Klingon language is an entertaining intellectual exercise and it should preferrable (says QoghtlhIH'u') be used in a way what it is intended for: give expression to the world of humanoid race that loves to fight, drink, eat bloody food and enjoy life until one dies honourably in a fierce battle, preferably with classical weapons. Anyway, that is exactly would you intend seeing the outline of your story. Mind you, if you make it too progressive (nobody gets killed for instance, no one gets drunk, there is no eating of raw, freshly killed meat) it is not really about Klingons (again my very personal opinion). 

wamwI' ram

Adding 'e' does means that night is the topic, but it is not really a sentence with object, verb and subject.
It reminds me of a silly joke on "For your eyes only" I once heard. In the Bond movie it means that 'it ' is only for the eyes of James Bond, not for anyone else's. But in this case a lady was looking at a plate of food and a friend of mine told her "For your eyes only" meaning it was not for her mouth, so she could look at it but wasn't allowed to touch it! So also in English you can get ambiguity in the "shortness" of a title.
wamwI' ghajbogh ram maybe-> Night having a hunter

[El Payaso Malo]

Oh don't get me wrong, homophones make it more realistic and natural feeling, it just needed some getting used to, is all (Klingon homophones are very different from English ones).

I also would not rely on a website, I meant that it is simply the most useful website for additional information. I mostly rely on the Dictionary (I do not yet possess the other books and such), but some of the things that I was confused on that were not elaborated on in the Dictionary were cleared up by Terrence's site (and nowhere else). If you could actually rely on a website, who would purchase the books at all?

I totally agree with you. My Klingons would be Klingons and my stories full of death, booze and blood (that's what I look for in all of my entertainment), I just thought that I would try a unique conflict. What would be more of a conflict than a break of orthodoxy? Similar to some sects of Judaism embracing female rabbis and getting ostracised for it, or a thoroughly Russian individual but great scientist and die hard capitalism sympathizer trying to make it in the Soviet Union. My point is, the Empire prides itself on their warriors and their tradition. But what if their most celebrated clan of warriors happens to be full of political mavericks that otherwise follow the teachings of Kahless to the letter? Klingons can be deep characters, but I notice that a lot of the time many simply receive the stock Klingon personality (belligerent at all times, jumps the gun frequently and endangers others for trivial matters and never thinking outside of the box). Sure, that's good for stock characters, but must every character be that way? I also hate it when Klingons simply aren't Klingons, and act more like typical pansies. I have always hated when someone remakes something (a film perhaps) and changes it so much as to not bear a resemblance to the source material. Change and new ideas are good to keep things interesting, but when it is unrecognizable from the source, I am displeased. I'm with you; I don't want to read about Klingons sitting around drinking lemonade or giving to charity and Christmas caroling. They might as well be Canadians at that point (not that there is anything wrong with Canadians). I just wanted to have Klingons doing what Klingons do best, but have a unique conflict thrown in. Fighting wars on two fronts (against the Gorn and the Federation) and political controversy in a Great House? Sounded interesting to me. A little revenge and romance should be cool, too. Am I making sense?

As for Night of the Hunter, I'll have to do some thinking on that one. -'e' is still not understood by me completely, but I figured that the emphasis that it indicated would affirm that ram is a noun and not a verb, but if it must be in a complete sentence, I will need to find another way or bite the bullet and allow it to be ambiguous.

[ter'eS]

As for Night of the Hunter, I'll have to do some thinking on that one. -'e' is still not understood by me completely, but I figured that the emphasis that it indicated would affirm that ram is a noun and not a verb, but if it must be in a complete sentence, I will need to find another way or bite the bullet and allow it to be ambiguous.

It actually wouldn't work either way, since Type 5 noun suffixes follow the adjective verb in a Noun-Adjective pair as well as the second noun in a Noun-Noun pair: wamwI' ram'e' could still be 'trivial hunter' or 'hunter's night'. I agree that -'e' on a noun phrase without some fuller context doesn't make a lot of sense: 'as for the hunter...'??.

[El Payaso Malo]

I always forget that noun suffixes are often (or always) on the descriptive verb as well.

However, that noun phrase could be used as if one was cut off in mid speech, it seems.
"wamwI''e'..." *wab tamHa'* "nuq 'oH wabvetlh?"
"As for the hunter..." *loud noise* "What was that sound?"

-'e' seems like it has a lot of uses. I recently did my MySpace in Klingon, and I used -'e' only in phrases in which an age or name is specified because I did not want to misuse it and it seemed to fit there.

(I hope I expressed my above example question properly.)

[QoghtlhIH'u']

I'm with you; I don't want to read about Klingons sitting around drinking lemonade or giving to charity and Christmas caroling.

     
Wow, just to name a few very unKlingon activities 


Is that "Canadians" remark inspired by Southpark the Movie?   

[El Payaso Malo]

Not this time, although most of my Canadian comments are. For example, I frequently claim to be a veteran of the American-Canadian War of 1999. If I remember correctly, one episode of South Park featured Michael Dorn being forced to show up in costume as Worf. Dorn, a fan of the show, thought that it was funny and wished that he had been asked to play himself.


Just out of curiosity, is there a Klingon word for "horn" as in something that might grow on an animal's head?

Here it is, the revised version of my first Klingon poem.

"parmaq lujpu’ghachvam"

be’ vIDuQbe’
‘IQtaHghach toywI’’a’ jIH
QIt ‘Iw peD tIqwIj
letchoHtaHvIS ‘aDDu’wIj jach qa'wIj
jIbachHa’pu’
batlh be’vaD parmaq’a’wIj vI’angta’DI’
parmaqwIj lajbe’
parmaqqay ghajmo’
jupwI’ ghaH ‘ej ghaH vIneHbej
jub ‘oy’wIj
ngIm qabwIj ‘ej jItuHmo' vIchech
Hoch jaj jIvangbe’ ‘e’ vIpaybej
jIHegh vIneH

ter'eS qatlho'neS. 'utpu' boQlIj. vIDublu''a'?