tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Dec 10 13:44:30 2001
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Re: Klingon WOTD: nawlogh (n)
: Klingon word: nawlogh
: Part of Speech: noun
: Definition: squadron
:
: Additional Notes:
: KGT p. 50. While a {yo'} always consists of more than one {nawlogh}, there
: are a number of {nawloghmey} that are independent of any association with a
: {yo'}. Therefore, while a specific {nawlogh} may be under the command of a
: {yo'}, another {nawlogh} may have the same status as a {yo'} within the
: overall forces.
Here's the full quote:
"The Defense Force is subdivided into units known as {yo'} and {nawlogh},
traditionally translated as 'fleet' and 'squadron', respectively, but the
relationship between the two is not straightforward in terms of chain of
command. While a {yo'} always consists of more than one {nawlogh}, there are a
number of {nawloghmey} that are independent of any association with a {yo'}.
Therefore, while a specific {nawlogh} may be under the command of a {yo'},
another {nawlogh} may have the same status as a {yo'} within the overall
forces. Accordingly, when dealing with a troop member (QaS) or officer (yaS) of
a ship, to avoid giving offense, one should either find out ahead of time how
that ship fits into the hierarchical structure or else carefully avoid making
references to other units as superior or inferior."
[This is a nice explanation for the well-known inconsistencies of the Trek
writers over more than thirty-five years now.]
For those into SeQpIr trivia, there's the famous (if non-canonical!)
*{ngaghQo'wI' nawlogh} or "squadron of the celibate" from THE KLINGON HAMLET.
There the line "Get thee to a nunnery" was translated as {ngaghQo'wI' nawlogh
yImuv}. Guido's endnotes translate it as "squadron of the celibate" (lit. "one
who refuses to mate"), stating that it was "the closest Klingon equivalent of a
monastic order, these were bands of warriors - of either gender - who dedicated
their lives to fighting, to the point of refusing to mate."
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons