tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jun 25 14:45:01 1996
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question
KATIE MONCELSI writes:
> I was wondering if anyone here could tell me what the Klingon word
> "petaQ" means.
Either, one, an untranslated epithet:
N: petaQ: %$@$!!
Or, a rather odd command to a group:
V: petaQ: you(imp:pl) be weird
It is more commonly found as the first.
I guess they could even be related - English, after all, has the
declarative "You are nuts!", as well as the interjection "nuts!".
Perhaps "petaQ" began as a expression of disgust with a group or the
universe in general, said as a command "petaQ!", as in "go ahead, all
of you, be as weird as you want - I wash my hands of you!", then
became an expletive by itself. You could also argue that in a
regimented military society "being weird", i.e. non-conforming,
is considered obscene.
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' ~ ' ~
joel anderson * [email protected] * [email protected]
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