tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Aug 21 11:06:34 2003

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Re: Klingon WOTD: Haq (n)

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 


>>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Thursday, August 21, 2003.
>>
>>Klingon word:   Haq
>>Part of Speech: noun
>>Definition:     surgery

Jim Fox-Daviswrote:
>Having had surgery twice in two years, I can tell you that surgery is like 
>being "Haqed" on.
>Dare we assume the pun was intentional?

That seems to be the consensus.

For those who don't have "Klingon for the Galactic Traveller", here's 
Okrand on surgery et al.:

   The word {Haq} actually means "perform surgery on (someone)". Even
   though Klingon doctors generally have thriving practices and a doctor
   is always part of a ship's crew, not only is being under a doctor's
   care considered a sign of weakness, but it is also regarded as a
   relinquishing of self-control. Klingons tend to avoid visiting
   doctors except under the most serious of circumstances and, as a
   result, doctors spend a great deal of their time tending to critically
   wounded patients and relatively little time performing routine
   examinations or practicing preventive medicine. The general term for
   "doctor" or "physician" is {Qel}, but a "surgeon", a doctor who
   actually manipulates the internal organs or bones of the patient and
   thereby is the most invasive, is a {HaqwI'}, "one who performs surgery".
   The slang term {Haq} developed from the association of surgery with
   invasion of the person, hence "intervene." Just as {Haq} in the nonslang
   sense of "perform surgery" has negative connotation, the slang term
   {Haq} ("intervene") is likewise disparaging, implying that the
   intervention was unnecessary and/or that the party doing the intervening
   somehow handled the situation badly.  [KGT p.151]

Finally, B'Elanna commented: "They say that the doctor who operates on 
himself has a *p'tak* for a patient." (VOY "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy")



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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