tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Dec 28 10:43:55 1999
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Re: Klingon WOTD: Qom (v)
> Klingon word: Qom
> Part of Speech: verb
> Definition: experience an earthquake or tremor
Tom West asked
: Can Qom also be used as a noun?
No. You can't use a verb as a noun, or vice versa. In fact, it appears that
Okrand specifically rejected a simple noun for "earthquake/tremor" when he was
creating vocabulary for "ST3: The Search for Spock". (Derived nouns are always
possible with {-ghach} and {-wI'}, but they won't mean quite what you have in
mind.) We do, however, have the nouns {Seq} "fault (seismic)" and {Qargh}
"fissure".
Between these three, and a little imaginative recasting, you should be able to
translate whatever you want. And remember that just because Klingon doesn't
have a noun for earthquake, there's no reason you can't use one in English.
E.g.:
qaStaHvIS DISvam wejlogh Qompu' Qo'noS.
This year Chronos has experienced three earthquakes.
Do'Ha' Qomqu'taHvIS veng wa'DIch Qaw'lu'chu'.
Unfortunately the First City was devastated during the severe quakes.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons