tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Mar 16 03:00:40 2006
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Klingon WOTD: ret (noun)
This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Thursday, March 16, 2006.
Category: General
Klingon word: ret
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: time period ago
Source: HQ (8:3 p3)
Additional Notes:
HolQeD 8:3, p. 2, {matlh juppu' mu'mey}. For other units of time (seconds, minutes, hours, weeks), two more general words are used: {ret} "time period ago", {pIq} "time period from now." (One might say that these are associated with the word {poH} "period of time"). These words follow the more specific time units. For example, "two minutes ago" is {cha' tup ret}, literally "two minute time-period-ago." "Two minutes from now" is {cha' tup pIq}. (It is also possible, though not necessary, to use the plural suffixes with the time units if there is more than one or them: {cha' tuqmey ret}, {cha' tupmey pIq}.)
The words {ret} and {pIq} could also be used with days, months, and years (e.g., {wej jaj ret} "three days ago," rather than {wejHu'}), but utterances of this type are not particularly common, sound a bit archaic, and are usually restricted to rather formal settings.
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