tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Mar 13 07:29:41 2014
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Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: HaqwI'
> Klingon Word of the Day for Thursday, March 13, 2014
>
> Klingon word: HaqwI'
> Part of speech: noun
> Definition: surgeon
HaqwI''e' DaH yISam
Find the SURGEON now! TKD
KGT 151: The word {Haq} actually means "perform surgery on (someone)". Even though Klingon doctors generally have thriving practices and a doctor is always part of a ship's crew, not only is being under a doctor's care considered a sign of weakness, but it is also regarded as a relinquishing of self-control. Klingons tend to avoid visiting doctors except under the most serious of circumstances and, as a result, doctors spend a great deal of their time tending to critically wounded patients and relatively little time performing routine examinations or practicing preventive medicine. The general term for doctor or physician is {Qel}, but a surgeon, a doctor who actually manipulates the internal organs or bones of the patient and thereby is the most invasive, is a {HaqwI'}, one who performs surgery. The slang term {Haq} developed from the association of surgery with invasion of the person, hence "intervene". Just as {Haq} in the nonslang sense of "perform surgery" has negative connotation, implying that the intervention was unnecessary and/or that the party doing the intervening somehow handled the situation badly. Thus, if one were to say {jagh HIvrup SuvwI' Haqpa' DIvI' qeSwI'} ("The warrior was prepared to attack the enemy until the Federation advisor intervened" - literally, "The warrior was prepared to attack the enemy until the Federation advisor performed surgery"), the implication is that the advice was unnecessary, counterproductive, or both.
BoP Haynes Manual (p.107): The surgeon typically injects a combined stimulant and pain killer, before using a {petqaD} to bond broken bones in place and a dermal regenerator to suture any wounds. Typical turnaround times allow an injured crewman to return to his post within seven minutes.
"They say that the doctor who operates on himself has a *p'tak* for a patient." (B'Elanna, VOY "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy")
Despite the considerable sophistication of Klingon technology, significant gaps exist in Klingon medical science, in part due to cultural biases that injured warriors should be left to die or to carry out the Hegh'bat. (cf. TNG "Ethics")
In Starfleet, "starship surgeon" is another term for a ship's senior medical officer. (cf. TOS "The Ultimate Computer")
Related words:
Haq perform surgery (on someone) (v)
Haqtaj scalpel (n)
'uD Haqtaj laser scalpel (medical device) (n)
tuj muvwI' thermo-suture (medical device) (n)
petqaD bone-mender (medical device) (n)
Hergh QaywI' pneumatic hypo (medical device) (n)
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
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