tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Mar 31 15:35:43 2003
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Re: Klingon WOTD: Degh (n)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Sunday, March 30, 2003.
>
>Klingon word: Degh
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition: helm
Never used in canon.
The helm is illustrated on the cut-away Klingon Bird-of-prey poster.
Cf. the noun {DeghwI'} "helmsman", but note that
There is no known verb {Degh}, but if there were such a word, presumably
it would mean "steer", and {DeghwI'", then, would be literally "one who
steers", formed from {Degh} plus the suffix {-wI'} ("one who does [some-
thing]"). There is a related noun {Degh} ("helm"), but since {-wI'}
follows only verbs, there must have been a verb {Degh} at one time that
has fallen out of use, at least in the sense of "steer" ... in the usual
sense of guiding a vessel along a set course or defined path..."
(KGT 149-50)
Note that {'or} "operate (an aircraft), pilot" does not mean the same as
this hypothetical obsolete verb *{Degh}:
In general, {'or} would not be used to refer to the activities of the
captain of a spacecraft, or even those of its helmsman, but Maltz said
it could be used for the controlling of a shuttlecraft." (HolQeD 11.2)
My guess is that we'll discover that *{Degh} referred to water craft, while
{'or} applied to aircraft alone. I imagine that when Klingons ventured out
into space they, like Terrans, adapted vocabulary piecemeal from both water
and air-craft as needed.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons