tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue May 15 17:03:29 2001
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
locks and keys (was re: More questions)
ja' Qov:
> When I want to refer to a device that causes things to become unlocked,
> usually it's that bit of plastic they give you in hotels these days, at
> qep'a', I say ngaQHa'moHwI' literally something like "delockedifier" --
> 'object (or person) that causes to invert the sate of being locked.' If I
> wanted a key in order to lock something, I'd ask for a ngaQmoHwI' -
> lockedmaker.
Those are the words I'd choose too...or at least they are the ones I
*thought* I would choose until I actually found myself referring to one of
the hotel "key cards" in Klingon. I ended up calling it {lojmIt chaw'}. :-)
ja' charghwI':
> Then again, is it that the lock is locked, or is it that the lock causes
> the door to be locked?
The latter, I'm sure.
{ngaQ} "be locked, be sealed, be secured, be fastened" (v)
{ngaQwI'} would be the sealed one. {ngaQmoHwI'} would be the sealer.
I might be tempted to go for a bit of wordplay and call a typical door lock
a {naQ}, referring to the "bolt" or "bar" that holds the door secure.
-- ghunchu'wI' 'utlh