tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Oct 19 09:59:08 1997

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Klingon haberdashery



On Sat, 18 Oct 1997, Qov wrote:
|'eQ wrote:
|> (So this is might be a poor translation, but how do I say 
|> pair? Or does paSlogh mean "a pair of socks"? TKD says only 
|> "socks" - but in *plural*, how should one interpret that?)
|
|Very good question.  I would cop out and say {cha'maH paSlogh}.  Next 
|time I see a Klingon haberdashery I'll stop in and ask on this point.

Unless I've missed something, {paSlogh} seems to be the only piece of
clothing that is worn in pairs to be inherently plural. Other items have
singular forms:
	DaS	"boot"
	DaSpu'	"boot-spike"
	pogh	"glove"
	tlhay	"sleeve"
	waq	"shoe"
But, since the plural of singular nouns need never be overtly indicated by
{-mey}, these are often understood to refer to the pair:
	nuqDaq waqwIj vIlamHa'choHmoH
	"Where can I get my shoes cleaned?" (TKD App.)
The reverse doesn't seem to be the case, however. Grammatically plural
nouns ({cha, chuyDaH, ngop, jo, negh, no'} etc.) are never understood as
referring to a single object, for which there are usually separate words. 
This may imply that there is a still unknown word for a single sock.

Or... although the well-dressed Klingon may wear only one boot:
	mIv DaS je tuQ ra'wI'
	"The commander is wearing a helmet and a boot." (KGT p. 107f)
s/he would never be seen in public without *both* socks!  Hmm. I wonder
whether Klingon "socks" aren't more like foot cloths or wrappings instead
of foot mittens. 

That's another question for Qov to ask her haberdasher. 

Voragh



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