tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Feb 08 13:52:29 2008
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Re: KCD 2
At 09:46 PM Saturday 1/19/2008, qa'vaj wrote:
>[wa' tlhIngan, boq Quch HIvpa']
>Qapla'!
>
>[boq Quch HIv]
>
>-- transcript --
>
>[one Klingon, just before head butt to boq]
>{Qapla'}
>
>(head butt)
>
>
>Do we have a toast that translates as the classic toast "to so-and-so"?
>I think there may be canon for the right way to say head butt.
I don't remember if you ever got an answer to this question, but there's
the slang verb {paw'} "butt heads":
This verb describes a very common habit among Klingon warriors,
particularly at festive occasions. Two Klingons stand close together,
facing each other, and, with great joviality, slam their foreheads
together. (...) In both its literal and slang usages, {paw'} takes
a plural subject: {paw' tlhIngan SuvwI'pu'} ("The Klingon warriors
butt heads") (...) When the subject of {paw'} is persons, the most
common interpretation of the verb is the slang onethat is, "butt
heads". Thus, if one were to say {paw' tera'nganpu'} ("The Terrans
collide"), this would probably be taken to mean that the Terrans
butt heads, as unlikely as the image might be. When the subject of
{paw'} is anything other than persons, the most likely interpretation
is the non-slang one, "collide". If one wanted to say that two
persons collide but not imply that they butt heads, the verb {ngeQ}
would probably be used along with the suffix {-chuq} ("each other")
as in {ngeQchuq tera'nganpu'} ("The Terrans collide with each other").
There is no simple non-slang verb for "butt heads". [KGT 157f.]
Indeed not. In "Conversational Klingon" we heard the Klingon talking to
his Terran guest:
What's happening over there?
pa'Daq qaStaH nuq?
Klingon warriors are butting heads. Everyone enjoys a mock battle.
If we're lucky, one will get angry.
qIp'egh nachDu'chaj tlhIngan SuvwI'pu'. may' ngeb tIv Hoch.
maDo'chugh QeHchoH wa'.
Sustel commented:
I think it's supposed to be {qIp'egh tlhIngan SuvwI'pu' nachDu'}.
However, perhaps Okrand has some weird sort of grammar in mind...
Personally, I think that the Klingon was just a little drunk. They had
been drinking in a bar for some time after all. In fact, the very next
line in the scene is:
What did he say?
nuqjatlh?
He said, "Last call!" Will you drink another one?
<<'eb Qav>> jatlhpu'. latlh Datlhutlh'a'?
No, I feel sick.
ghobe'. jIroplaw'.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons