Re: Klingon WOTD: Qogh (n)

[Steven Boozer <sboozer@midway.uchicago.edu>]

Xardana wrote:
:>  Klingon word:   Qogh
:>  Part of Speech: noun
:>  Definition:     type of animal
: 
: chay' tlhIngan wo' Ha'DIbaHmey Dellu'?  nuq 'oH Qogh'e'?

Good question.  From "Power Klingon" we know that a {Qogh}, sometimes
transcribed in Federation Standard as *krol*, is a common pet.  If you recall,
the human tourist told his Klingon host that:

  qu'bej QoghlIj. 
  Your *krol* is definitely fierce.

This was obviously meant as a compliment.  (Doubly so, in fact, considering the
slang meaning of {qu'} as "be great, be wonderful, be excellent, be
superlative, be splendid" we learned in KGT.)  Another clue comes from a line
in the "Star Trek: Klingon!" (KCD) novelization (p. 108):

  "We will repay this bartender, who sent us chasing wild {Qoghmey}."

Some have suggested that Warrigul, Kruge's hostile reptile-dog from ST3 (the
name comes from the ST3 novelization although I don't believe the species was
identified), is a {Qogh}.  Since both Warrigul and the {Qogh} heard in PK
growled - and since AFAIK this is the only intact (i.e. not cut up for food)
Klingon animal other than the ubiquitous {targh} and KCD's {Qa'Hom} we've ever
seen - I tend to agree, if only to attach a mental image to the word.  YMMV
however.



-- 
Voragh                       
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons