tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Apr 21 09:04:28 1998
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Second thoughts (was RE: KLBC: nobmey)
- From: Steven Boozer <[email protected]>
- Subject: Second thoughts (was RE: KLBC: nobmey)
- Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 11:02:07 -0500 (CDT)
: SuStel & Qov debate naked ordinals:
: >Other than that cha'DIch is used as a noun.
:
: That particular usage of {cha'DIch} is a wee bit strange. First off, it
: first came from TV. I don't know if it has been expanded upon by later
: canon or not (Voragh?). Second, this is a pretty specific cultural
: usage, which may not represent the general pattern.
:
: pagh
Yes, {cha'DIch} is canonically used as a noun in this case, which by some
amazing coincidence <g> exactly duplicates the English usage. I have a
reference in my notes to TKW, but I don't have a copy with me at the moment
to verify it:
cha'DIch an aide (a "second," who stands with and defends a warrior
during a ceremonial challenge) [Cf. "Sins of the Father", The Star
Trek Encyclopedia, TKW 21.]
No doubt the noun it modified (cf. {yaS cha'DIch}) has dropped out of normal
usage, and {cha'DIch} is used by itself. We've seen a similar type of
deletion in {qa'meH} "replacement (permanent)" KGT. Okrand explains this in
HolQeD 5.1:
"The word {qa'meH}, clearly a shortened form of {quvqa'meH}, was originally
used only in the construction of {qa'meH vIttlhegh}, but, though historically
two verb suffixes, it has become accepted as a noun in its own right, meaning
replacement in the sense of something that takes over for or is used instead
of something that is gone or that has been lost. It is not used for a
temporary substitute or a stand-in; the word for that is {lIw}."
OTOH, until we see other examples of this ordinal-as-noun, it may be best
just to consider it a {no' Hol} fragment out of Klingon history.
Here are the other less-problematic attestations of {cha'DIch}:
- meb cha'DIch second guest TKD
- nentay cha'DIch Second Rite of Ascension KGT
- yaS cha'DIch the second officer KGT ["regardless of their official
ranks, those closest to the captain of a ship are called {yaS wa'DIch}
(first officer) and {yaS cha'DIch} (second officer). Unlike the terms
associated with specific duties, however, these may be used as titles as
well." (KGT 53)]
Voragh