Re: Klingon WOTD: chaj (n)

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

De'vID wrote:
: > Klingon word:   chaj
: > KGT.  Close female friend of a female.
: 
: Does anyone feel a pun behind this?  It sounds like one, but I 
: can't put my finger on it...

I don't doubt it, but I admit I can't figure one out either.  Is there a
connection with the possessive suffix {-chaj} "their"?  Who knows.
 
: The male version sounds like a pun, too: /maqoch/.  "coach", or
: "my coach", perhaps?  

I don't know about that, but I think there is definitely a connection
between {maqoch} "buddy, pal" (JGT) and {qoch} "partner" (TKD).  Think of
those westerns where characters drawl "Howdy, pardner!"  

Considering Okrand's devious sense of humor, I now assume there's a pun or
a play on words behind almost all post-TKD vocabulary.  Keep in mind,
though, that the joke may be *very* private and, as such, we will never
know them all.  (E.g. Okrand confirmed at qep'a' wejDIch that he had a
neighbor {jIl} named - you guessed it - "Jill"!)


-- 
Voragh                       
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons