tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Sep 13 07:08:58 2003

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Re: KLBC love

Agnieszka Solska ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

lab Quvar:

>{bang} is not the idea of "love" in general, it means "loved one", and this 
>includes all persons you love, parents or neighbors.

bIna''a', Quvaroy {{;-) ?

That's what I assumed, too, until a few months ago a friend of mine pointed 
out that my assumption might be wrong.

Like you I was going by dictionary definition of {bang}, which indeed 
suggests that the word can refer to any kind of person who is loved, such as 
one's girlfriend and boyfriend, a relative or a close friend. However, if we 
examine the way the word is used, we can see that this may not be the case. 
My friend drew my attention to the following facts:

1/ The only canonical example of {bangwI'} being used to address someone:

In Star Trek III, the movie which is heavily linked to TKD (many lines from 
ST III are quoted in TKG as examples), Valkris says to Kruge just before he 
blows up her ship:

   Qapla' jawwI' bangwI' je.
   [Success my lord and my love]

While Kruge may have been Valkris's close friend or a family member, most 
people who saw the film would understand that he was her lover.

2/ The explanation of {bang pongmey} in KGT, p. 199-201

The text very explicitly describes a custom that exists among Klingon 
romantic partners. Notice that Okrand didn't choose to call the "pet names" 
{parmaq pongmey} or {parmaqqay pongmey}. He chose to call them {bang 
pongmey}.

3/ The description of {bang bommey}, KGT, p. 78

According to KGT, the custom of singing {bang bommey} is linked to courtship 
and is part of the mating ritual. This may serve as yet another indication 
that bang (the one who is loved) is a romantic partner, not just any person 
you have warm feelings for. You wouldn't sing a {bang bom} for your grandpa 
or your child.

I agree that it is very tempting to assume that the relatively new word 
{parmaqqay} – I think we only got it because of that episode of DS9 - can 
refer only to your "significant othey" while the old word {bang} is broader 
in meaning and can indicate any kind of person who is loved. Who knows, 
maybe at some point Okrand will indeed say that this is so. However, he may 
never do it and as things stand right now, it is too soon to make this 
claim.

>I conclude this from the fact that words like {vavoy} are called {bang 
>pong} "pet name, endearment" but literally "loved one's name".

But {vavoy} does not qualify as a {bang pong}. {bang pongmey} are not merely 
affectionate terms you can use for anyone you love. As explained in KGT 
p.199, they are secret names used by romantic partners. Such names are 
couple-specific and, it would seem, are formed by adding the suffix {-oy} to 
three kinds of words: nouns referring to food, weapons and body parts.

So, even if for some strange reason a woman decided to call her parmaqqay 
{vavoy}, this endearment would not count as a {bang pong}.

'ISqu'

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