tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon May 27 02:20:20 1996

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Re: New here

>For the record, I'm not so sure I'm dead-set against "nuqneH" as a
>conversation opener.  The word is plainly a fossilized form (it's not "nuq
>DaneH" nor even clipped "nuq neH"; it's one word).  It's the only greeting,
>as we're told, so likely must do duty for any situation when you need to
>open a conversation politely (and don't snort that Klingons don't do the
>politeness thing: they are extremely polite, or they get dead.  They just
>have different ideas of civility.  Okrand himself says that nuqneH is
>considererd "quite civil" by Klingons [_Conversational Klingon_]).

I can guess that the use of nuqneH is somewhat similar to the use of
"Goodmorning" or "Hello" in the Terran culture.  We say it out as a
greeting, not because it is a statement of fact.  It is an ice-breaker or a
way to introduce your self to someone, or just plain curtesy.  I mean, how
often do we really take "Goodmorning" at it's real meaning?  If it is like
my usual day it has been one bastard of a morning and I'd rather tear the
person's throat out with my teeth than talk to them (but that's just me mind
you).  However, it is what the Terran society deems as "good manners", and
as such I also believe that the Klingons would hold to the same idea.
Albeit the translation means something else, it is as close to polite as you
are going to get, and as the above states, the Klingons  "...are extremely
polite, or they get dead."  If we didn't use nuqneH then it would like not
being able to say "goodmorning" without knowing if the person has had a good
one or not.  In my case just look me in the eyes, and then you can guess if
I am in a "goodmorning" mood.  

Looking forward to talking to some nagging old lady with infinite amounts of
photo's of her darling grand-children on the bus in hostile Klingon [c:{{

toQDoq
++++++++++++++++++++++++++LGMCB+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>From Redhawk: The one who has an angel called Kestra in his heart...
  "Remember when you said "Mine?" and I said "Forever!" You said "Only Forever?"
==========="Forever... And ever..." - The Crow by James O'Barr============

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