tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue May 28 07:33:42 1996
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Re: New here
- From: "Lord Havelock Sinister" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: New here
- Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 15:33:23 GMT
- Organization: North East Wales Institute
- Priority: normal
- Return-Receipt-To: "Lord Havelock Sinister" <[email protected]>
> From: Redhawk <[email protected]>
> 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.
An explanation for "nuqneH" was given to me, which runs along these
lines:
Maltz, the source of all information on tlhIngan Hol, is a prisoner. Now, in a
culture which does not take prisoners, Maltz is in an intolerable
situation. Each day, he expects the inquisition to come in with the
pliers and the rubber hose and the truth serums; but each day,
there's nothing but polite scientists and, of course, the military; some of them asking
him about troop movements or the disposition of the fleet (which he's
expecting, and won't answer) and the rest asking dumb questions on anatomy, art and
so on (which he can't answer).
So every morning, Maltz wakes up, and looks at his cell, and waits
for someone to come in and either kill him (the honourable thing) or
continue asking the dumb questions. What sort of greeting will he
give _you_ if you walk in the door?
Oh, yes; this is also the reasoning behind the term <HIja'> for
"yes;" consider how a Klingon would react to some pretentious wanker
along the lines of a Jean-Paul Gaultier, burbling on in a facile
manner about fashions or food or "Klingon ethnicity." In response to
questions such as "Well, I really like the clean lines of your
uniform. It really offsets the manliness of the poise with the
functionality of the leather in a way that enhances your beingness,
doesn't it?" it pays to realise why the term <HIja'> can also be read
as the imperative command "You tell me."
QojwI'
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I am Chaos. I am the substance from which your artists and scientists build rhythms.
I am the spirit in which your children and clowns laugh in happy anarchy. I am Chaos.
I am alive, and I tell you that you are free." - The Goddess Eris, Principia Discordia.