tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jun 16 08:57:36 1998

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Re: qay'be' usage

:From: [Voragh]:
:>>qay'be' "(It's) Not a problem!" (This phrase is often used here when a
:>>Terran would say, "You're welcome". Of course, a Klingon would probably
:>>just grunt an acknowledgment -- if s/he was in a good mood.)
:>
:>I wonder. It's how we use it on this list, because "no problem" is a fairly
:>common English cliche, but is that how Klingons really use it? The only
:>example I can think of with any context (perhaps you can provide something
:>else, Voragh), is when the Klingon demands {cha'SaD DeQ. DaH yIDIl!} "Two
:>thousand credits. Pay now!" and the Terran replies {qay'be'} "No problem!"
:>(I believe I'm remembering that scene correctly.)

AFAIK, {qay'be'} is used only twice in any kind of context.  First in ST6:

Chang:   narghta'? ... narghta'.
	  Escaped.
Grokh:   qay'be'.  Daq Sovbejbe'taH qerq.
	  Kirk cannot know the location of the peace conference.
	  ["It does not matter ... Kirk cannot know the location." (novel)]
Chang:   DaSovbej'a'?  bISuDrup'a'?
	  Are you sure? Will you take that chance?

That's my best guess as to what the actor playing Grokh was saying
(mumbling, actually), but {qay'be'} was quite clear.  The second comes from
Power Klingon:

Terran:  javmaH tat chu'wI' vIneHbej.
          I definitely want sixty ion triggers.
Klingon: vaghSaD DeQ HInob!  DaH yIDIl!
          Give me 5,000 credits!  Pay now!
Terran:  qay'be'.  tItlhap!
          No problem.  Here. (lit. "Take them!")
Klingon: maj. 
          Good.

: I remember hearing, I *think* from Marc Okrand himself, that {qay'be'}
: was created in honour of a member of the tech crew on one of the movie
: sets who said "no problem" in response to all requests.  By that
: logic, it means "I can do that/did that/will do that without
: difficulty."  A friendly boast.
: 
: [email protected]

Like "Will do!" or military "Wilco!" (radio shorthand for "will comply").
Thanks for passing this along.  I like learning all these tidbits from chats
with MO at the qep'a'mey, which I again won't be able to attend this year.

Hmmm... do Klingon males from the southern continent of Qo'noS say things
like {qay'be', maqoch!} (No problems, mate!)?

Voragh

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