tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 12 20:53:10 1996

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Re[2]: To greet or not to greet? The canonical question

According to [email protected] (Frank M Truelove):
>Alright.  Let's assume that a beginning has the TKD.  I suspect this is a safe
>assumption.  I further suspect that beginners don't start with CK and/or PK to
>draw from.

Fine.  The problem seems to be in the definition of the word "greeting."

My American Heritage Dictionary says it is "a word or gesture of welcome or
salutation."  Based on what TKD says specifically about the lack of words
for greetings, I expect the "welcome" idea is what Okrand had in mind when
he called {nuqneH} a greeting.

The word "greet" is defined "1. To salute or welcome in a friendly and
respectful way with speech or writing, as upon meeting or in opening a
letter. 2. To receive with a specified reaction. 3. To be perceived by."
Again, the "welcome" and "receive" meanings appear to be the appropriate
ones to employ for TKD's use of the word "greeting."  (Definition 3 is
a somewhat different use of the word, as in "A horrible din greeted his
ears.")

I quote from TKD's introduction:

    "When two Klingons meet each other (except in cases where military
    protocol determines behavior), if anything of an introductory nature
    is said, it is an expression that can best be translated as 'What do
    you want?'"

If that is the best translation, then it is obviously inappropriate for a
Klingon to say {nuqneH} when one enters a room or begins a message.  Since
most newcomers aren't *really* Klingons, I concur that it's unfriendly and
unproductive to "slap them down" if they start a note with {nuqneH}.  I'm
still going to inform them that I don't think that usage is appropriate.

>So, to a beginner armed only with TKD, using nuqneH IS perfectly valid.

...unless one pays attention the middle of page 10.

That's my opinion.

-- Alan Anderson, professional programmer and amateur Klingonist
(speaking for the moment as an individual, not as the Beginners' Grammarian)

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