tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Aug 18 07:28:31 2006

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing



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

Re: Klingon WOTD: Hom (noun)

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Friday, August 18, 2006.
>
>Klingon word:   Hom
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition:     bone
>
>Additional Notes:
>KGT p. 88, as food.

Used in canon:

   Hom Hutlhbogh ghab
   *ghab* that lacks bone KGT

Cultural notes:

   Wind instruments (there is no overall term for them) range from
   the simple flute or fife ({Dov'agh}), generally crafted from a
   bone... (KGT 75)

Related nouns:

   {melchoQ} "bone marrow"

The Klingon Bible Translation Project (KBTP) and others use *{nachHom} for 
"skull".

>Homonyms:
>     Hom (noun) - weakling, runt, scrawny one, skinny one (slang)

   This word literally means "bone", but its slang usage is no doubt
   influenced by the noun suffix {-Hom}, a diminutive that adds a meaning
   of smallness or lack of importance (compare {taj} ["knife"] and
   {tajHom} ["little knife", the extra small blade in the handle of a
   d'k tahg knife]). There are a number of standard counterparts to {Hom},
   such as {pujwI'} ("weakling"), {langwI'} ("one who is thin"), and
   {runwI'} ("one who is short"). (KGT 152)

>     Hom (verb) - use the second toe

   DungDaq Hom
   point upwards with the second toe.  (HQ 10.2:11)

   jaghwI'Daq jIHom
   I use (my) second toe at my enemy.
   (idiom: I claim my enemy is unworthy or weak)
   ["The gesture itself is most likely to come up during ritualized
   martial arts combat (which, incidentally, is often a part of
   Klingon ballet)." (HQ 10.2:11)

The derived noun is, of course, {HomwI'} "second toe".



--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons






Back to archive top level