tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Aug 10 01:38:49 1993

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: tlhIngan mu'mey Qut (Klingon swear words)

(Mark E. Shoulson) shoulson <[email protected]> wrote on Mon 9 Aug 93
15:33:31 -0400 (Subject: tlhIngan mu'mey Qut) allocating meanings to the
Klingon swear words in TKD. But running these words through my Klingon ->
English analyser shows that many of them have other meanings:-

[Invectives]:-

  > QI'yaH: An expression of disgust and revulsion ...
- N:military V:be_taken_away*
- N:military N:duty_station
  When last did Klingons show disgust at army duty stations?!

  > Qu'vatlh: ... said "in moments of extreme anger." ... used for things that
are more somebody's fault ...
- N:[duty|quest|mission|task|chore] I:hundred
  I suppose so: perhaps he is complaining that whoever's incompetence/etc has
caused the speaker extra work.

  > va: TKD says that this is a short form of Qu'vatlh (addendum 5.5). This is
a mild, general curse ...
  See Qu'vatlh

[Epithets]:-

  > petaQ: Useless. Garbage. Non-functional. Generally unable to get anything
done right. ... insult to someone who has just made a muddle of something.
- PP:impv_pl/- V:be_weird
  I suppose so.

  > toDSaH: ... implies foppishness, and softness and weakness ...
- N:rescue* V:[be_present|care_about|be_concerned_about]
  Perhaps as "too fond of going off saving stray people and thus interrupting
important war campaign plans that you are taking part in. Perhaps.

  > taHqeq: ... you're saying the person is dihonest/dishonorable, evil,
obnoxious, and basically an unpleasant kind of creature to deal with at all...
- V:be_at_negative_angle N:drill_mil
- V:[continue|go_on|endure]* N:drill_mil
  Endurance at army drill is hardly to be objected to among Klingons!

  > yIntagh: Stupid. Dumb as rocks. This is a direct attack at the
intelligence of the victim. May have overtones of petaQ and toDSaH as well:
soft, spoiled, and utterly useless, with stupidity as the overriding factor.
- N:life_support_system
- N:life N:lung*
  I suppose that life support systems, even if computerized and with a degree
of ability to make decisions, are not known for general intelligence compared
with people's brains. Perhaps. Still seems an odd thing to call someone.

Back to archive top level