tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Feb 11 09:07:05 1999
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Re: How do I say....
[email protected] wrote:
: Does anyone know how I would say, Greetings of Peace? I'm VERY much a novice,
: and I dont' think I have it right.
Klingons don't waste time with greetings, which are considered a time-wasting Federation affectation. They just come to the point. The only real "greeting" - at least in the sense of something you say when someone accosts you - is {nuqneH}, which actually means "Whaddaya want?". (This would be {nuq DaneH} "What do you want?" in Standard Klingon.) Some Klingons have been known to greet other warriors (particularly honored or famous ones) with {Qapla'} "Success!", though others oppose this usage as a greeting, considering it more of a farewell salute or send-off.
But if you really want to say this, here goes ...
There's no noun in Klingon meaning "greeting" per se, but we do have {van} a "salute, tribute" and {roj} is "peace". Putting it together we have {roj van(mey)} "salute(s) of peace". Not that this would mean anything to a Klingon. It wouldn't to me either. It's not even a complete thought or sentence.
Figure out what you're trying to say: "Peace to you" (*shalom 'aleikhem* in Hebrew, *salaam 'aleikum* in Arabic, {SoHvaD roj} in Klingon)? "May you enjoy peace" ({roj DatIvjaj} in Klingon)? Etc.
Since they're a warrior race, a Klingon *might* phrase this last one ironically as {roj DaSIQjaj}, which literally means "May you endure (the) peace". We do have other Klingon wishes or sayings with {SIQ} "endure" to use as a model:
'oy' DaSIQjaj
May you endure the pain! PK
yIn DayajmeH 'oy' yISIQ.
To understand life, endure pain. TKW
yIn nI' yISIQ 'ej yIchep!
Live long and prosper! RT
(literally "May you endure a long life...")
You want to be *very* careful in saying this, however. You don't want it to be taken the wrong way. After all, for the Klingons a long, peaceful, uneventful, boring life lacking in military honor without any chance for a glorious death in battle is something they would wish only on their worst enemy.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons