tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Nov 03 08:33:44 1998
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Re: Gaming question
>
> I will be running a computer game for the patrons in the lobby at
> our local Insurrection premiere. I will be my true self, a Klingon
> warrior. One problem though-- I've checked TKD and the pojwI' translation
> program, and there doesn't seem to be a single word for "game master".
Why does it have to be a single word? English doesn't have one. Not that it
matters, as both are pronounced identically.
>
> The closest I've been able to find is Quj pIn'a'. Could I run those
> together as QujpIn'a' (which sounds rather unsteady to my ears), or would
> that be grammatically wrong, therefore requiring me to seek another title
> for myself?
>
> --da laffin tlhIngan :>
/Quj pIn'a'/ or */QujpIn'a'/ are certainly legal combinations for "master of
the game", if a little over-literal. Okrand has never discussed /pIn'a'/
"master" ("mistress" too, I'd imagine) in any context, so we don't really know
how it is used in Klingon. Perhaps it only refers to master (pIn'a') - slave
(toy'wI''a') relationships.
Consider just */QujpIn/ formed on the model of /jonpIn/ "engineering officer",
/nuHpIn/ "weapons officer", /QeDpIn/ "science officer" and /QumpIn/
"communications officer". Note that /yaS/ "officer" is not used in these.
/pIn/ "boss" may be appropriate for non-military specialists as well. Also,
/pIn/ has the slang meaning of "expert, authority" according to KGT. (When I
was in the Navy, the Operations Officer on my ship was referred to as the "Ops
Boss".)
If you don't like that, another Klingon-sounding option is /Quj joH/ "lord of
the game". (Two words here, I think.) The casual Trekker may be more
familiar
with this and it has the added advantage in that all the /QujwI'pu'/ "gamers,
game players" will have to address you as /joHwI'/ "my Lord" (or "my Lady",
depending on your gender)! maj.
_________________________________________________________________________
Steven Boozer The University of Chicago Library [email protected]