tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jul 18 13:50:06 2001

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Re: questions about fingers and toes






>From: "Will Martin" <[email protected]>
>Reply-To: [email protected]
>To: <[email protected]>
>Subject: questions about fingers and toes
>Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 00:35:22 -0400
>
>It struck me when I started dealing with these new words from the body text
>of the latest HolQeD article from Okrand that I wanted to {gheb} the bull 
>by
>the "horns" and update the list.
>
>I am somewhat bothered when Okrand makes a comment like: "The verbs {nan}
>'use the fourth toe' and {nan} 'gouge' are probably etymologically related,
>since {nan} is used to refer to a particularly effective martial arts 
>kick."
>Great. So when one uses {nan} to refer to such a kick, is it a noun or a
>verb? All uses of {nan} up to that point were verbs, so should I list {nan}
>also with a definition like, "execute a particularly effective martial arts
>kick"? Or is the kick itself a noun form of {nan}? Until I have more
>evidence, I don't feel like I can list the word with that definition.
>
>charghwI' 'utlh

Hmmm...well, since MO's description is that it "refers to a particularly 
effective martial arts kick," perhaps it's a noun. If had meant it as a 
verb, he might have said something like "since {nan} means to execute a 
particularly effective martial arts kick." (That's a rather odd etymology, 
too, by the way...it's hard to kick someone with the fourth toe. You've got 
the pinky toe in the way. Those three middle toes really don't do a whole 
lot.)

Although, since most words describing martial arts, like kicking and 
punching and bat'leth-ing, are verbs, and the other meanings of {nan} are 
verbs, I guess it's a verb. Plus, the "effective martial arts kick" meaning 
goes well with the word "gouge," because it's like gouging your opponent 
with your foot, so perhaps it's a sort of idiomatic usage of {nan}, similar 
to the way {DuQ} is used to refer to something that affects you emotionally. 
Maybe you could say (part of speech unknown, presumed verb) in your word 
list.

That's just my opinion; I could be wrong.
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