tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jun 19 07:33:53 2006
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Re: Klingon WOTD: jech (verb)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Saturday, June 17, 2006.
>
>Klingon word: jech
>Part of Speech: verb
>Definition: disguise
Never used in canon.
Cultural notes:
... a Klingon, though not predisposed to deception, may, if
necessary or potentially beneficial, disguise his or her
identity by imitating the speech of a member of another group.
(KGT 4)
Cf. also the verb {So'} "hide, conceal, cloak".
>Homonyms:
> jech (noun) - disguise, costume
Related nouns:
{Sut} "clothing" and {HIp} "uniform"
Related verbs:
{jechmey} are put on {tuQmoH}, worn {tuQ} then taken off {tuQmoHHa'} (note
the "incorrect" order of the suffixes):
This homophony explains why the Klingon slang expression {qogh
tuQmoHHa'}, literally "take off one's belt" is used to mean
"to not hear", for example, {qogh vItuQmoHHa'pu'} "I've taken
off my belt; your secret is safe with me." (HQ 2.4)
A thought just occurred to me... If the above example is not an error, the
"incorrect" order of suffixes may be a peculiarity of this verb. Perhaps
{tuQmoHHa'} "take off" is used to distinguish it from *{tuQHa'moH}
"dress/put on wrongly" - e.g. put one's uniform on incorrectly. Speaking
from personal experience, this is a common worry in the military, each
branch of which has many picky rules about the correct wearing of one's
various uniforms and proper placement of rank and unit insignia on them.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons