tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Feb 12 13:20:44 2001
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Re: ranks in tlhIngan KLBC
RNButler wrote:
> I know lagh is ensign and HoD is captain and ra'wI' is commander but what is
> the word for Lieutenant grades and what is the difference between la and
> ra'wI'?
quljIb:
: As I understand it {la} means the military rank Commander (notice the
: capital 'm') and {ra'wI'} means "commander" (small 'm'), i.e. "one who
: commands". To Chief Petty Officer Miles Edward O'Brian, Ensign Wesley
: Crusher is his {ra'wI'}.
Okrand on translating "commander":
"There is, in addition, a frequently misunderstood word, {ra'wI'},
which is correctly, though misleadingly, translated as 'commander',
as is {la'}. The confusion comes about because {ra'wI'} literally
means 'one who commands'... Thus, a {ra'wI'} is, literally, 'someone
who gives an order'. The word is generally used to refer to any
officer of the rank of {Sogh} or higher. It may be used as either
a description ({ra'wI' ghaH qImlaq'e'} [K'mlak is a commander] or a
title ({qImlaq ra'wI'} [Commander K'mlak]), though in all cases it
is understood as not reflecting the precise rank of the individual.
Except for formal occasions, it is safe to use the title {ra'wI'}.
In fact, if one is not sure of an officer's rank, it is probably
the safest route to take." (KGT p.52f)
Part of the confusion is do the fact that in TOS, all Klingon commanding
officers - including Kor, military governor of Organia - were called
"commander" for some reason. (Perhaps because it took Desilu/Paramount a while
to come up with a set of Klingon rank insignia. Anyone know the reason for
this?)
However, cf. Klingon {jaghla'} "enemy commander" which seems to be a
description. Languages aren't always consistent!
ja'chuqmeH rojHom neH jaghla'
The enemy commander wishes a truce (in order) to confer. TKD
FYI: In Russian, *kommandir* and *kommanduyushchiy* are often used in this
way. In the US and other English speaking navies - and possibly Starfleet -
all commanding officers of boats or ships can be called captain (or "C.O." or
"skipper"), regardless of the C.O.'s actual rank. (E.g. a mine sweeper or
river patrol boat may be commanded by a chief petty officer, a warrant officer
or an ensign.)
"Commander" and "captain" are thus both job descriptions as well as military
ranks. Not all Klingon commanders are commanders, and not all U.S. (or
Federation) captains are captains. When translating, it's crucial to keep the
distinction in mind.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons