tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Apr 24 16:30:09 2006

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Re: {Dun} "be great"

Shane MiQogh ([email protected])



>Also look at Okrand's comments about the slang term {qu'} "be great, be 
>wonderful, be excellent, be superlative, be splendid" (literally, "be 
>fierce") in KGT (pp. 159-161):
  We have it in english as well.
   
  Elizabeth:
>I'm fairly certain that the original meaning of great in English was that of
>large size, which came to mean very good through the philosophy of bigger is
>better. Tremendous went through a similar shift.
   
  That wouldn't surprise me either.
  
Steven Boozer <[email protected]> wrote:
  In Klingon, however, the basic meaning of {Dun} "be wonderful/great" seems 
to be "excellent" (i.e. to be outstanding or worthy of admiration), not 
large size per se. We have three examples in sentences:

qIbDaq SuvwI''e' SoH Dun law' Hoch Dun puS
You would be the greatest warrior in the galaxy. ST5

ta'mey Dun, bommey Dun.
Great deeds, great songs. TKW

toH, SomrawDu' Dunqu'
Oh, what wonderful muscles! (ST5 DVD, "making of" feature)
"pov" 'e''a'? lol I find the Klingons subject to "the bigger the better" as well.

		
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