tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Oct 19 09:59:08 1997
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Klingon haberdashery
On Sat, 18 Oct 1997, Qov wrote:
|'eQ wrote:
|> (So this is might be a poor translation, but how do I say
|> pair? Or does paSlogh mean "a pair of socks"? TKD says only
|> "socks" - but in *plural*, how should one interpret that?)
|
|Very good question. I would cop out and say {cha'maH paSlogh}. Next
|time I see a Klingon haberdashery I'll stop in and ask on this point.
Unless I've missed something, {paSlogh} seems to be the only piece of
clothing that is worn in pairs to be inherently plural. Other items have
singular forms:
DaS "boot"
DaSpu' "boot-spike"
pogh "glove"
tlhay "sleeve"
waq "shoe"
But, since the plural of singular nouns need never be overtly indicated by
{-mey}, these are often understood to refer to the pair:
nuqDaq waqwIj vIlamHa'choHmoH
"Where can I get my shoes cleaned?" (TKD App.)
The reverse doesn't seem to be the case, however. Grammatically plural
nouns ({cha, chuyDaH, ngop, jo, negh, no'} etc.) are never understood as
referring to a single object, for which there are usually separate words.
This may imply that there is a still unknown word for a single sock.
Or... although the well-dressed Klingon may wear only one boot:
mIv DaS je tuQ ra'wI'
"The commander is wearing a helmet and a boot." (KGT p. 107f)
s/he would never be seen in public without *both* socks! Hmm. I wonder
whether Klingon "socks" aren't more like foot cloths or wrappings instead
of foot mittens.
That's another question for Qov to ask her haberdasher.
Voragh