tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jul 21 08:25:45 2004

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Klingon WOTD: qeD (v)

David Trimboli ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

>From: "Lieven L. Litaer" <[email protected]>
>I guess that "vacate" in Klingon has a military meaning here. We must
>remember that most words that MO made were made for different possible
>scenes in the movies. I don't think that he had in mind to vacate a seat or
>an office. Perhaps more in the sense of "vacate troops" or "vacate a
>military base".

Why can't {qeD} "vacate (v)" mean "vacate (v)"?  Why does it have to mean 
"vacate (military term) (v)"?

Klingon is a language, not just military jargon.  We have absolutely no 
evidence that the following sentence is inappropriate: {qach qeDlu' qulmo'} 
"The building was vacated because of the fire."

Or do you think that {Quch} means "be happy (military term)"?  Maybe we have 
{yach} "stroke (military term)."  And let's not forget {nga'chuq} "have sex 
(military term)."

From Merrriam-Webster Online (relevant portions):
     vacate
     1 : to make legally void
     2 a : to deprive of an incumbent or occupant
       b : to give up the incumbency or occupancy of.

As far as this goes, the word could apply to removing troops from a foreign 
country, or getting out of your seat.  And there's no reason to think that 
the Klingon {qeD} doesn't mean exactly what Marc Okrand said it means: 
"vacate."

(I've never heard the "legally void" definition in use before.)

SuStel
Stardate 4554.8

_________________________________________________________________
Don?t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! 
http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

Back to archive top level