tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 30 10:41:36 2001
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Re: Word for Poet
RNBUtler asked:
: Does anyone know the word for poet?
De'vID (I believe) suggested {bomwI'} "singer, chanter" - on the assumption
that Klingon poetry is largely sung or chanted. While I'm not sure that we
have any direct evidence of this, I think he's probably right. In many, if not
most, Terran languages, the ideas of song and poem are expressed by the same
words. Even in languages like English which distinguish between written poems
and oral songs, we still use musical terms to discuss both (e.g. rhythm, beat,
meter, stanza, verse, etc.).
Okrand on {bom} in HolQeD 2.4:
And the noun "chant" might likewise be somewhat closer to the mark
as a translation.
Evidence that the words are primary in Klingon music, or at least song:
Despite the variety and sophistication of Klingon musical instruments,
most Klingon music is vocal, with or without instrumental accompaniment.
When there is an instrumental component, the players are said to {qat}
the song." (KGT p.76)
Where {bomwI'} works fairly well for a poet performing or declaiming his or her
verses, I would also suggest {qonwI'} - literally "composer" - for the
intellectual act of composing a poem. Okrand used {qonwI'} for "songwriter" in
KGT (p.71). Okrand discussed the various verbs used for writing - {ghItlh},
{qon}, {gher} - on startrek.klingon:
The verb for "write" in the sense of "compose" is {qon}, literally
"record." This is used for songs and also for literary works
(poems, plays, romance novels, and so on). As has been pointed out,
it's as if the song or story is somehow out there and the "writer"
comes into contact with it, extracts it (to use Qov's nice phrase),
and records it. The verb usually translated "write," {ghItlh}, refers
to the physical activity of writing (moving the pencil around,
chiseling, etc.) .... Saying {QIn qon} "he/she composes a message" or
"he/she writes a message" (literally "he/she records a message")
suggests that the writer is presenting some new information as opposed
to merely passing something along. It may also imply that the written
message has some sort of literary merit, and thus be a compliment.
And of course you can use them together: {bomwI' qonwI' je} for
"singer-songwriter", a composer (or poet) who performs his or her own
compositions.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons