tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 07 10:15:30 2006

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Re: Klingon WOTD: jIj (verb)

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



> >Klingon word:   jIj
> >Part of Speech: verb
> >Definition:     be cooperative

Used in canon:

   ngoQvam luchavmeH ghawran maghpu' be'nI'pu'. woQ luSuqmeH
    jIjpu' chaH romuluSngan'e' je.
   To this end, the sisters have acted against Gowron, going as
    far as to work with Romulan factions in order to gain power. S26

Related verbs:

   {HeQ} comply; {ghIb} consent; {lob} obey

Antonyms:

   {'om} resist

> >Homonyms:       jIj (verb) - cooperate

QeS:
>I suspect that {jIj} "to cooperate" probably isn't a separate word, but that
>the KGT entry is merely a clarification of the entry in TKD. I've just
>realised, also, that the extended meaning of "to be cooperative", implying
>that {jIj} is stative in nature, gives us a way to make sense of the

The difference between {jIj} and its synonym in TKD {yeq} is clarified 
somewhat in KGT (p.159):

   The slang term [{qang}] may be found in such sentences as {jIHDaq Daqang}
   ("You always agree with me, you always cooperate with me"; literally, "You
   pour [something] into me"). To say that someone "pours (always agrees)" is
   somewhat derogatory, implying that the agreeing or cooperating may be for
   ulterior motives. Nonslang equivalents of {qang}, though lacking the nega-
   tive connotation, are {reH Qochbe'} ("always agree"), {reH yeq} ("always
   cooperate"), and {reH jIj} ("always be cooperative").

I.e. {yeq} "cooperate" (action) vs. {jIj} "be cooperative" (quality)

>compound {yuQjIjDIvI'} "United Federation of Planets": originally {yuQ jIj
>DIvI'} "cooperative planets' federation".

Cf. also the synonym {yuQjIjQa'} "The United Federation of Planets (UFP)"

>Going into the realm of speculation, I wonder whether {DIvI'} might
>ultimately be related somehow to the verb {vI'} "to accumulate"? Perhaps
>{DIvI'} "we accumulated them"?

That's certainly a very Klingon view of multi-national/inter-planetary 
organizations.  It's right out of the old FASA/Klingonaase *komerex* 
"(growing or expanding) universe, empire" (literally "the structure that 
grows").  E.g. *komerex fedegon* "the Federation (of Planets)", *komerex 
klingon* "the Klingon Empire (expanding), that which is within the Klingon 
sphere of influence".  And who can forget the famous Klingonaase 
proverb/political philosophy from "The Final Reflection":

   Nal komerex, khesterex
   "That which will not grow will die"



--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons






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