hmm. so this is what studying is like.

So I was studying my CS for my HUGE DAMN TEST and suddenly just knew I needed to memorize all of Inama Nushif.

So you know, I got out the lyrics. Now here's the thing.

I totally get why there are entire conventions devoted to the Klingon language.

This translation makes no sense!

(Gotten from Brian Herbert's website.

Al hudad alman dali (one that cannot be equaled)

Then:

Al hudad alman dali alia (that Alia will one day equal)

Plus Al-hudad shows up in a different context and seriously--what????? Is this tonal? It doesn't sound tonal. Can you switch present negative to future not-negative?

....

Seriously. You all friended me of your own free will. It's not like reading this can possibly surprise anyone.

Um. Anyone have their Dune books handy?

Comments

[miss-porcupine.livejournal.com]

If I say yes, am I enabling you?

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*sighs* Probably.

I just--want to look up *every damn one of those phrases* and write them out and *work out* how on earth this is put together.

...I'm pretty sure this is a symptom of something. *sighs*

[miss-porcupine.livejournal.com]

...I'm pretty sure this is a symptom of something.

Yeah. The I Have A Test-itis plague. ;)

Remember: Tolkien did linguistics. Herbert got stoned and read his latin textbook upside down.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

That's probably the most reasonable explanation possible, really.

[fyrdrakken]

Arabic, I think. 'Tis a pity I only got two semesters of the language about a decade ago and now can only remember enough to count to ten.

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

Why on earth are you studying Fremen? Fremen grammar for crying out loud. ::cries::

and um.....Ka'plah! (success)

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I was studying C++ syntax.

...yes, I know.

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

:;eyes cross:: And this relates....how??

::pets your head worriedly and surreptitously checks for smoking brain::

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*rubs forehead surreptitiously*

[droolfangrrl.livejournal.com]

yes what do you need looked up?

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Sadly, all the quoted Fremen. *starts to laugh* You know, it just hit me--I could google. This is Sci-Fi. Someone out there has to be obsessed.

[vofpracticality.livejournal.com]

Handy. Always.
But...repeat after me....Authors are not linguists.
Well...Most authors are not linguists. Yah. That sounds about right.
(Just keep Suzette Haden Elgin out of the sample population)
I was in the art show at a convention last year when the person next to me looked intently at the very cool pottery with elven runes and said with a rather annoyed tone "it doesn't say anything...it's gibberish". I bought a piece anyway, since I don't read elvish but she went away rather offended.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*dies and dies and *collapses*

God. Tha's hysterical.

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

But, I'd like to point out that J.R.R. Tolkein did work out all his Elvish and many other things, as those who have slogged through The Sillmarillion well know. Bless his fuzzy, nerdy little head.

And bless him, there's some ubergeek that got hired as the Elvish language expert for the LOTR films and is on the commentaries and my gracious, he looks the product of some very energetic inbreeding, and while we were watching the commentary, my sister said, "This is the hottest this man will ever be."

I'm afraid that it's probably true, bless him.

[leld.livejournal.com]

I, uh, saw this and thought of you :)

Nabaztag, the first rabbit connected to the internet! (http://www.nabaztag.com/en/index.html)

*goes back to lurking*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

....OH MY GOD IT IS AN INTERNET RABBIT!!!!!

*glows* I wnat.

(I still have no idea what he does and I watched two presentations. but it is enough he exists)

Thank you!

[vee-fic.livejournal.com]

1. I have it on good authority that some phrases in the very first book are actually just Arabic, possibly fiddled with a bit to sound sonorous to the American ear. My message board used to have a joke about how Kwisatz Haderach, which does literally mean "shortening of the way," is actually a method for speeding on the New Jersey Turnpike without getting caught.

2. I, uh, I have a copy of the Dune Encyclopedia here at home, which is a 500-page work of fannish awesome. It's really written encyclopedia style, from a post-book #6 perspective, and riddled with excellent intricate explanations. The section on Fremen language is not as detailed as the one on Galach, but it does use cod-Arabic script. (There's an alphabet chart, with five vowels, unlike real Arabic.) There is a very short subsection on syntax, but you might find that nuance is better covered in the (considerably longer) portion devoted to the history of dialects and the philosophy of the language. I can transcribe some, if you like.

3. I believe the point of Klingon is that it is, in fact, a well-designed conlang, with a robust vocabulary and predictable syntax. I think the only reason it gets its own cons is that actual linguistics confderences are too busy geekgasming over Quenya morphology and the spelling system of Esperanto. Also, I mean, Klingon requires considerably more spitting than is polite at an academics' conference.

4. Wow, I am a total nerd.

[fyrdrakken]

:Snork: Yeah, having not read this far down the page yet I noted above that it was coming across as pretty quasi-Arabic to me -- and I've only had a couple of semesters of the language years ago. Popping some Fremen phrases through Babelfish could be interesting.

[zelempa.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, Klingon does get a lot of play at linguistics conferences. I've never been to one, but I did do a worksheets on Klingon morphology and syntax in more than one linguistics class. :)

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.

Oh, Dune.