tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Oct 03 00:43:15 1997
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Re: Taste, Dance, Arrow
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Taste, Dance, Arrow
- Date: Fri, 03 Oct 1997 00:42:55 -0700
At 08:46 97-10-02 -0700, Alexander T Greene wrote:
}Speaking of food, I note that there seems to be no generic term for "a
}taste" as in "a flavour" or "dance (n)" such as in "We're holding a fire
}dance tonight in honour of General Kemvok's son's second nentay. Come
}along." I can see how I could use "I taste something strange in this
}food" <Sojvam vay' Huj vImum>, but "dance <n>" still raises some minor
}consternation. Minor, because I can now come up with terms such as
}"Hunting is a dance of predator and prey."
Right. A dance isn't a thing, it's an action and so in Klingon it's
a verb. Don't worry about how to say a particular word in Klingon.
Think only of how to express a concept.
}<qaSDI' chon mI' gheD wamwI' je> - literally, "When a hunt is happening,
the }prey and the hunter
}dance."
mu'tlheghvetlhvaD {qaStaHvIS} qaq law' {qaSDI'} qaq puS.
taste as a noun:
I identify poison from the taste.
vIwaHmo' tar vIngu'.
I enjoy the taste of it.
vImum 'e' vItIv.
The taste is reminiscent of saccarine.
mumlu'DI' HaQchor qawlu'law'
dance as a noun:
The dance will begin at 5 o' clock.
SochmaH rep mI'choHlu'
I don't recognize that dance.
mI'meH patvetlh vIghovbe'
May I have this dance?
DaH mamI'taHvIS chotlhejqang'a'?
Note that all of these are a little strange because of the disparity
between the Klingon and our concept of dance. It's like calling yoga
"prayer."
}Oh, yes: arrows. I note no reference to bows or arrows in the Argot
}section on Weaponry, either Traditional or Modern.
If you consider the combination of the {chetvI'} and the {naQjej} it
may be a sort of crossbow, like a large {moy'bI'}.
}So would one consider a term such as *naHjejHom* <small spear> for
}arrow? If that is accepted, what about "bow?"
{naHjejHom}? Maybe a horse chestnut in its spiky outer casing. :)
{naH} means fruit or vegetable. Of course you meant {naQjejHom}.
In context I could understand that as arrow, especially if paired
with a {chetvI'Hom} or a {tlhegh Qey lo'bogh chetvI'}. Simply
explain the difference between an arrow and a spear -- the fletching,
really -- and then your audience should understand.
Qov [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian