tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Feb 03 10:02:14 2010
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RE: Honoured
buSwI':
>Finally, I seems to me that {batlh QInlIj vIHev} would be even less
>polite; I could say that if I was Quvar's equal, for instance.
Personally, I would be reluctant to use {batlh} "with honor, honorably, in an honorable fashion" to refer to my own actions. It smacks of {DavHam} "false honor".
I could find no examples of {batlh} used in the 1st person singular with {jIH}, {jI-} or {vI-}, although I did find:
batlh qaghojmoHpu'
It has been an honor to instruct you. CK
batlh qaghojmoH
It has been an honor to instruct you. PK
{qa-} "I [do something] to you" may be acceptable here because you're really complimenting the person you're addressing and not yourself.
I also found three examples of {batlh} used with the 1st person plural prefix:
batlh maHegh
[We die honorably.] CK
pIj maSuvpu' batlh maSuvpu' 'ej maQapbejta'
In our many battles, we have fought with honor and achieved VICTORY!
(Hallmark)
batlh maHeghbej 'ej yo' qIjDaq vavpu'ma' DImuv. pa' reH maSuvtaHqu'
Then we die with honor and join our fathers in the Black Fleet where
we battle forever. (Anthem)
{ma-} may be acceptable because you're referring to the group and not yourself alone.
And while we're speaking of honor (and the lack thereof), there are several more verbs to consider in addition to {quv} "be honored/honorable} and {quvmoH} "honor" vs. {quvHa'} "be dishonored" and {quvHa'moH} "dishonor":
HoQ be honored falsely, be falsely honorable (v.)
HoQmoH honor falsely (v.)
Qaq behave falsely honorably, behave in a falsely honorable manner (v.)
QaqmoH cause to behave in a falsely honorable manner (v.)
mIl be formerly honored (v.)
mIlmoH honor formerly (v.)
Okrand discussed the nuances in HolQeD:
HQ 12.3:8f.: Maltz [...] said [{HoQ}] could be used in the same places {quv} "be honored, be honorable" could be used, but only then the honor was not legitimate. Thus, a delegate to the Klingon Empire could well be described as a {Duy quv} "honored emissary", but if it turned out that he or she was a spy, the phrase {Duy HoQ} "falsely honored emissary" would be appropriate. [...] {Qaq}... is used in cases where one misrepresents oneself in order to be accorded honor one is not entitled to, and in that way it is different from {toj} "deceive" and {ghet} "pretend", neither of which has this kind of connection to honor [...] Maltz mentioned one noun associated with these verbs, {DavHam}, which he defined simply as "false honor", but which really covers the same semantic ground as both {HoQ} and {Qaq} (but not really {mIl}). {DavHam} is different from {quvHa'ghach} "dishonor (noun)" in that the latter does not imply seeming to be honorable or the appearance of honorability, but rather the lack of or loss of honor.)
--
Voragh
Canon Master of the Klingons