tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Feb 05 11:43:55 1998
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Re: KLBC Poetry (the child is happy)
According to Andeen, Eric:
>
> mu'tlhegh {vutpa'Daq be'Hom 'IHqu' tu'lu'} qeltaH ghot puS.
>
> One vocabulary note: in English (at least in the US), we often use the
> word "girl" to describe women well into adulthood, and it is even used
> occaionally to describe women of middle age and beyond, usually with no
> negative connotation. The word "boy" is not often used to describe men
> over the age of 18, and this usage may imply that the man in question is
> not a "real man".
>
> Based on the apparent derivation of {be'Hom} as {be'} plus the
> diminutive {-Hom} (and similarly for {loDHom}), I don't believe Klingons
> would refer to an adult as {be'Hom} or {loDHom} without meaning to
> insult her or him.
>
> I don't know the age of the woman/girl Edy was referring to in the
> original message, but if she was older than about 18, I would prefer
> {be'} to {be'Hom}.
I'll note that in my mind, the image was of a girl around 9 to
12. I'd call a teenager {be' Qup}. Again, that's just a
personal orientation. I just don't see anyone physically
capable of reproduction as {be'Hom}/girl.
Basically, as I see it:
chun ghu. Qoblaw' be'Hom. Qob be' Qup. Qobchu' be' nen.
> pagh
charghwI'