tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 25 11:45:07 1998

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Re: chon qaq



muHwI':
: > {chon qaq law' gheD qaq puS}?
: > (the chase is better than the catch)

charghwI': 
: My problem with this is that it implies a comparison between a 
: process (hunting) and a creature (prey). I think you mean to 
: compare two experiences. For that, I think you'd be better with 
: one of those rare uses (and I mean this really needs to remain 
: rare) of {-ghach}.
:    chonlI'ghach qaq law' chonta'ghach qaq puS.
: Think about it.

yIqelneS SoH, charghwI' 'utlh!

muHwI' was correctly (at least WRT grammar) comparing the nouns {chon} "hunt"
and {gheD} "prey".  {chon} turns up as an element in the nouns {chon bom}
"hunting song", {chonnaQ} "hunting spear", {puq chonnaQ} "fork" (i.e. "child's
hunting spear") and {chontay} "ritual hunt". 

Remember, the verb "hunt" is {wam}.  This is one of those cases where the verb
and the noun are not homophonous.  I do see your point, which should have
been:

   wamlI'ghach qaq law' wamta'ghach qaq puS.

For the sake of lexical completeness, "hunter" is {wamwI'} -- which occurs in
{wamwI' Ha'DIbaH} "hunter's meat", {wamwI' mIl'oD} "hunter's sabre bear", etc.
(KGT p.89f) as well as the proverb:

  QotDI' gheD tlhejbe' wamwI'
  The hunter does not lie down with the prey. TKW



_________________________________________________________________________
Voragh                            "Grammatici certant et adhuc sub judice
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons      lis est."         Horace (Ars Poetica)



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