tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Apr 21 07:14:34 2014

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Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: qul mI'wI'

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



> Klingon Word of the Day for Monday, April 21, 2014
> 
> Klingon word: qul mI'wI'
> Part of speech: noun
> Definition: fire dancer

KGT 207:  Sometimes seemingly ordinary concepts cannot be expressed easily. For example, the Klingon verb {mI'} may be translated "dance", but it also means "exercise, do calisthenics, do martial arts movements". The central idea of {mI'} is that a physical activity is performed that results in no change, other than, perhaps, in the well-being of the person performing the action. Thus, it is wrong to use {mI'} for "run to a place", though it is quite appropriate to use it for "run in place". By the same token, no word in Klingon means quite the same thing as Federation Standard "dance". At many Klingon festivals, a popular group of performers is called the {qul mI'wI'pu'}, usually translated as "fire dancers". Since what the performer is doing is properly designated by the verb {mI'} but not really accurately described by the translation "dance", the visitor - particularly one who learned the Klingon word only by its usual Federation Standard translation - is in for quite a surprise when the show begins.

Alexander watched the fire dancers at the Kot'baval Festival celebrated at the Maranga IV outpost (TNG "Firstborn")


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons




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