Useful Phrases In Useless Languages

For Go players who anticipate meeting fictional characters or other players who don't share a language, it can be useful to know how to ask for a game. Here are the most idiomatic (by consensus of SL patrons) phrases in various languages for:

• asking someone for a game of Go
• a likely response to accept a game
• a likely response to decline a game
• sportsman-like wishes to begin play
• resignation
• thanking the opponent after the game

Please help fill in the blanks and correct errors (or discuss below).

Table of contents toki pona Leet or |33t Klingon Quenya or Elvish Weegie (the lingua franca of Glasgow, Scotland) Cat Notes

toki pona

Asking: "musi ala musi?" ("Shall/should we play?") "sina wile ala wile musi?" ("Do you want to play?")
Accept: "pona" ("Yes")
Decline: "ala" ("No thanks")
Begin: "musi pona" ("Have a good game")
Resign: "mi musi pakala" ("I resign")
Thanks: "pona" ("Thanks")

Leet or |33t

Asking: "G4/\/\3 n00b???"("want to play?")
Accept: "C00|_" ("yes")
Decline: ":p" ("no thanks") "l4/\/\3R" ("go away")
Begin: "L37Z R0X" ("enjoy the game") "gl hf" ("good luck, have fun")
Resign: "3y3 r pwnd D:" ("i have lost") "0MG H4X"^[2] ("you are incredibly strong")
Thanks: "\o/" ("nice game")

Klingon

Asking: "*go* wIQuj 'e' DaneH'a' " ("Would you like to play Go?"), yIQuj! (Play!)
Accept: "HIja' " ("Yes")
Decline: "Qo' " ("No")
Begin: "batlh maSuvchuqjaj" ("May we fight each other honorably")
Resign: "jIjegh" ("I surrender"), "bIQapchu' " ("You win perfectly")
Thanks: "Qujmo' qatlho' " ("Thanks for the game") ^[1]

Quenya or Elvish

Asking: "Ma tyaluvammë" ("Shall we play?")
Accept: "Tancavë" ("Certainly"), "Ná" ("Yes")
Decline: "Lau" ("No")
Begin: "Á harya mára tyalië" ("Have a good game")
Resign: "Hehtanyes" ("I abandon it")
Thanks: "Hantanyel (tyalien)" ("Thank you (for the game)")

Weegie (the lingua franca of Glasgow, Scotland)

Asking: "Howzitgaun', pal. Goanny gies a gemme?" ("Good day, my friend. Would you care for a game?")
Accept: "Aye, a'll gie ye wan" ("Indeed I would")
Decline: "Awa' an' bile yer heid" ("Thank you, no")
Begin: "Goanny get yer finger oot then?" ("Please, feel free to begin playing")
Resign: "Aw f***. Ah'm deid" ("Regretfully, I must concede defeat")
Thanks: "That wis pure dead brilliant, like" ("I so enjoyed our game")

Cat

miau?

Asking: "miau/miaw/meow?"^[3]

Accept: "purr"

Decline: n/a ^[4]

Begin: "purr"

Resign: n/a ^[4]

Thanks: "purr"

Notes

Also see: Useful Phrases In Other Languages.

[1] You don't need to learn this one. If you win the game the Klingon might kill you for dishonoring him. If you lose he'll kill you anyway...

[2] This phrase can also be used in reference to a specific move or tesuji. Example:

Gennan Inseki: 0Mg! l34rn +3h +415h4, n00b (you messed up the taisha, grasshopper!)

Shusaku: 3y3 w1LL 0wn j00! *plays move 127* (Victory will be mine!)

Gennan: 0mg! H4X! (Ears turn red)

[3] Different methods of Romanization.

[4] There is no word to decline. The cat just ignores you. This is not impolite! If he or she wants to play and you don't, you must remove the stones. Resigning is similar.