tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Feb 15 12:26:08 1997

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing



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

RE: Word Origin Speculation II



February 14, 1997 8:15 AM EST, jatlh 'Iwvan:

> > > > > 'IH = beautiful (ick), [...]
> > >
> > > So English [k] can correspond to {H} and (presumably) {Q} and {'}
> > > as well as {q}.
> > 
> > No, it's just that English doesn't have the letters to say {'IH}.
> 
> Oh, you mean that _ick_ is pronounced [Ix] rather than [Ik] in English?
> Now it makes sense.

No.  "Ick" is not an English word.  But it is the common spelling of that 
which people say (and I'm only aware of the English-speakers' case) when they 
come across something gross.  It *usually* sounds (though not being a word, it 
can sound like anything) like Klingon {'IH}.  Another similar word is {yIH}, 
although this one is a Klingon onomatopoeia.

> > > I wonder when someone will suggest that {yuD} is derived from the
> > > stereotypical Christian perception of Jews.  Or is that too imPC?
> > 
> > I thought it was {yID}  :-)
> 
> {yID} is `be Jewish' (courtesy of HoD Qanqor); {yuD} is `be dishonest'.
> yuD Suypu' yID 'e' pIj _Europe_Daq Qublu'.

I was joking, thus the smiley face.  But {yID} was *NOT* an official word the 
last time I checked!  It's one of those informal funnies we like to throw 
around.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97127.3


Back to archive top level