tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Dec 21 09:08:26 2010
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RE: monastery
Maltz/Okrand (via Quvar):
>> The word for monastery is {ghIn}. This is a pretty general term for
>> a religious community (and the term "religious" could be interpreted
>> in various ways as well), so it can be modified. A {ghIn'a'} would
>> be a pretty important monastery, for example.
lojmIt tI'wI' nuv:
> I'm actually wondering if {ghIn'a'} is the key to whatever pun that
> Okrand might have in mind for the word {ghIn}. Does it sound like any
> really important religious community to anybody out there with our
> broad spectrum of languages and cultures? Is there some GINA acronym
> for a large, significant spiritual community, especially if it is not
> necessarily a community with religion as the center? Some Global
> Institution of Non-believers and Atheists?
>
> He tossed out hints, that {ghIn} could refer to a group that was not
> necessarily a religion, and that a really significant one would be a
> {ghIn'a'}. It was odd for him to say that, like he had some unspoken
> motive -- like it was a punch line and he was waiting to see if we got
> the joke.
I suspect it's a joke too, but I can't figure it out either.
In any case, with all this talk about "religious communities" this is a good time to review "words relating to groups or assemblies":
HQ 4.4:11: Some additional information has come to light regarding words relating to groups or assemblies. Among those words already well-known for different types of groups are: {boq} alliance (also bloc or coalition, though coalition is sometimes {boq ru'}, literally temporary alliance); {DIvI'} federation or organization (also association, league, union); {ghom} group or party (also band, in the nonmusical sense); [...] (also {ghom'a'}) crowd. Add to this list: {tlhach} faction or sect.
HQ 4.4:11: The most general word for "school" (a place for learning) is {DuSaQ}. A specialized school, perhaps translatable as academy, is {'ampaS}. An organization dedicated to scholastic pursuits or research is a {yejHaD} "institute" or "institution" or a {yej'an} "society". The distinction between {yejHaD} and {yej'an} is not clear, though the former is usually--but not always--used for larger organizations. [...] Note that {nugh} "society" has a much broader meaning: a group of people with a shared culture. Accordingly, {tlhIngan nugh} would mean Klingon society as distinguished from, say, Romulan society, but {tlhIngan yej'an} would probably be The Klingon Society, a group dedicated to the study of Klingons.
HQ 11.3: On his drive up to attend {qep'a' HutDIch}, it is believed that Marc Okrand was in communication with Maltz (the precise mechanics responsible for this are unknown and unimportant to the present concern). Traffic along the interstate was particularly heavy, a topic which at some point entered into the conversation. Dr. Okrand reports that Maltz volunteered the Klingon term {Hutvagh}, a noun, meaning "too many people or things in a place all at once". Maltz further indicated that the term was used as word play, a substitution for the more common {Qu'vatlh} which might otherwise be heard in such situations.
Of these I think it's pretty clear that the "Guardians of Boreth" would be called a {tlhach} - if only because they had their own political agenda - although it hasn't been used by Okrand in a religious context (whatever that means in Klingon terms!):
KGT 45-46: Practitioners of a great many activities have developed specialized vocabulary or uses of words in order to label the tools of their trade or to express subtle distinctions. Such specialized language is known in Klingon as {tlhach mu'mey} (literally, "faction words"). A good Federation Standard equivalent would be argot or jargon. Interestingly, some fairly common words in Klingon began as }tlhach mu'mey} and then, over time, spread to general usage, often with altered meanings. In some instances, the words and phrases associated with a particular activity or group are known throughout Klingon society. For example, knowledge of the language of warfare is fairly widespread, as might be expected given that the most striking characteristic of the Klingon Empire is that it is a warrior society. Similarly, terminology associated with food is well known. On the other hand, much specialized vocabulary pertaining to other endeavors remains practically unused except by experts in the particular fields (though most well-educated Klingons probably are familiar with it). While it is not possible to go into every aspect of the various Klingon subcultures here, some examples of the {tlhach mu'mey} associated with certain fields are presented below. Even if a visitor never engages in any of these activities directly, understanding these words is a good way to gain a more complete comprehension of Klingon culture. At the very least, these words are always useful for showing off. [Okrand then provides examples of from warfare, music, visual arts and food.]
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons