tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 06 14:26:27 2001
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Klingon idioms
Patrick asks:
: Are there any more idioms that aren't in the idioms section of KGT? From
: TKW, I have {Hovmey Davan), (pe''egh) and (pIpyuS yIghor!) From the
: "Language Gaffes" section of KGT, I have (ro'lIj HI'ang!) From post-KGT
: sources, I have (tIngvo' 'evDaq chanDaq), ('arlogh Qoylu'pu'?), and now
: (pumDI' 'etlh)
I don't have a separate list of idioms, but searching "idiom" quickly in my own
annotated dictionary - not counting items flagged KGT (idioms appear throughout
KGT, not just limited to the one section) - produces:
{ghIchwIj DabochmoHchugh ghIchlIj qanob}
"If you shine my nose, I will give you your nose."
(A common idiom meaning: Don't try to fool me. Do not try to mislead me if you
value your life.) PK
"There is also an idiomatic phrase which conveys the idea of jealousy: {SuD
veqlargh mInDu'}. Literally, this means 'Fek'lhr's eyes are yellow/green,' but
it is used to express the idea that somebody is jealous. It would be used in an
exchange such as:
A: loSmaH romulusngan SuvwI'pu' HoHta'qeng.
B: SuD veqlargh mInDu'.
A: Kang killed 40 Romulan warriors.
B: Somebody is jealous!
Speaker "B" is saying that speaker "A" is jealous of Kang." (MO in HolQeD 8.3)
"In Klingon, opportunities are captured [jon], not taken; a missed opportunity
is said to have escaped [nargh]." (TKW p.51)
"I'd probably take an idiomatic approach incorporating the phrase {nargh 'eb}
"the opportunity escapes" ... This goes along with other expressions such as
{'eb jon} 'he/she captures the opportunity' or, more colloquially 'he/she
seizes the opportunity'." (MO on st.klingon 1/98 on ways of translating "be too
late")
"{qen 'arlogh Qoylu'pu'?} 'Recently, how many times has someone heard it?'
(i.e. What time is it?) ... {rep yIper!} 'Ascertain the hour! Specify the
hour!' (i.e. What time is it?) This is literally 'Label the hour!' Though the
verb {per} 'label' is usually used in the sense of attach or assign a name to,
it can also be used for such notions as ascertain, specify, pin down. This is
not considered slang or idiomatic." (MO on st.klingon 2/99)
I'm sure others can add to this list. Also, there are colloquial and idiomatic
notes scattered throughout _The Klingon Way_.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons