tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Dec 15 12:21:19 2003

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Re: word definition request: nub'a' nubwI'

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

ghel Quvar 'utlh:

>1. nub'a' nubwI'?
>
>   nub - v - be suspect
>   nubwI' - n  predecessor
>   nung - v - precede
>
>In German, a predecessor can be either K'mpec, preceding Gowron, but also 
>your Grandfather is a
>predecessor.  But since Marc Okrand gave us even two words for ancestor/s 
>{qempa', no'} I'd say that {nubwI'} refers only to political predecessor.

Or one's predecessor in a job or other position.  (E.g. Tasha Yar was 
Worf's predecessor as tactical officer {ya} on the 
Enterprise-D.)  "Predecessor" doesn't imply a family relationship in 
English; that would be "ancestor", "forefather/foremother", etc.

>But did he slip the line?  {nubwI'} sounds like "someone who is suspect"

This is an old puzzle.  Many of us believe that this is indeed a look-up 
error.  But since Okrand hasn't admitted it, we have to accept the word as 
is and postulate an unknown (possibly obsolete) verb *{nub} which is a 
homonym of "modern" {nub} "be suspect".  Or perhaps we'll eventually learn 
that {nubwI'} is an unidentified slang or {no' Hol} word.

>"predecessor" should be {nungwI'} is it not?

One would think so.  But lacking additional information, {nungwI'} "person 
who precedes" could just as easily refer to the person ahead of you in 
line.  <g>

>2. Is pemHov canon, or only used in Hamlet?

Just in Hamlet.  We still don't have a canon word for "sun".  Before 
*{pemHov} "daystar", the most popular suggestion I've seen is *{juHHov} 
"homestar", which at least has the virtue of being modeled on {juHqo'} 
"homeworld".



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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