tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 16 14:31:38 1995
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Re: bav
- From: KLI Round Table Acct <klirt>
- Subject: Re: bav
- Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 17:31:37 -0500 (EST)
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> from "[email protected]" at Jan 16, 95 11:24:58 am
>
> >Isn't "orbit" as a definition of {bav} a way of succinctly expressing
> >a verb meaning "to move around"? Even English dictionaries list "to
> >travel in circles" as a meaning of "orbit." Is there anything wrong
> >with saying {qach vIbavlI'}, "I am orbiting the building; I am walking
> >around the building," or {nom qach vIbavlI'} "I am running around the
> >building"? Or is {bav} identical in meaning to "orbit," in that it
> >implies circular motion _in_space_?
>
> The word "orbit" strongly implies movement of *planets* in *space.* My take
> is that if you said {qach vIbav} it would be understood, but it would sound
> very figurative.
>
> Guido
>
This has been my take on the word as well. Allowable, but probably
metaphorical if used for circling buildings, etc. Then again, I don't
think this is such a bad thing. Figurative use of language is one of
the most interesting things (at least to me) about language. Metaphor
is the most powerful thing a language seem capable of.
It's a bit rough to ask the Klingon community to start doing TOO much
with figurative language, given how far most of us have yet to go with
the denotative meanings of the language. And yet, more than a few
Klingonists refer to their automobiles as <Dujmey>, surely a figurative
rather than literal usage. Maybe we just need to ease into it...
Lawrence
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