tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jul 06 07:26:21 2006
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Re: Klingon WOTD: rIlwI' (noun)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Thursday, July 6, 2006.
>
>Klingon word: rIlwI'
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition: thumb
(...] the word {nItlh} "finger" means any finger, including
the thumb. A hand has {vagh nItlhDu'} (five fingers), not
{loS nItlhDu'} (four fingers) and a thumb. There is a specific
word referring to each of the five fingers, and these words
are nouns derived from verbs by means of the suffix {?wI'}
(thing which does); there are two pairs for "thumb". The
Federation Standard translation of the verbs is a little
strained, but they mean something like "use (the specific
finger"). The associated "finger nouns" would be literally,
though quite awkwardly, "thing which is used in a thumb-like
manner" or perhaps "thing which thumbs" or even "thumber"
(...) The two sets of words relating to "thumb" are pretty
much interchangeable, though small children usually use {rIl}
and {rIlwI'} rather than {Sen} and {SenwI'}. Similarly, adults
speaking to or about children tend to use {rIl} and {rIlwI'}.
Both words are used together in an idiomatic expression
meaning "everybody, everyone": {SenwI'Du' rIlwI'Du' je},
literally "thumbs and thumbs". This expression is often
heard without the plural suffixes: {SenwI' rIlwI' je}.
[HQ 10.2:7-8]
{rIl} "use the thumb" [esp. children] (v.):
Similarly, {nujDajDaq rIl'egh ghu}, literally "at his/her mouth,
the baby uses at him/herself his/her thumb", is used for "the
baby sucks its thumb." (HQ 10.2:8-9)
{Sen} "use the thumb" [esp. adults] (v.):
nISwI' HIch Sen
fire the disruptor pistol
(lit. "use the thumb in the way it's most appropriately used
on a disruptor pistol", "use the thumb to activate the disruptor
pistol", "thumb the disruptor pistol") [HQ 10.2:8]
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons