tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Oct 04 11:01:08 2001

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Re: quraq's proverb--KLBC



DloraH wrote:
: > neH jagh maj jagh Hegh
: > The only good enemy is a dead enemy
: 
: Hegh is defined as "die (v), death (n)".
: It's not used for "dead" (as far as we know).  And we can't put -ta' 
: or -pu' on an adjective; besides, Hegh can't be used as an adjective.
: We can use -ta' or -pu' if we recast this to a -bogh phrase.

In this case, {-pu'} is to be preferred.  We have two examples of this
construction, both from SkyBox S31:

  Heghpu'bogh tlhIngan mInDu' lupoSmoHlu' 
  The eyes of the fallen ["dead"] Klingon are opened

  Heghpu'bogh latlhpu' ghuHmoH bey. ghoS tlhIngan SuvwI' maq. 
  This yell... serves to warn the other dead [lit. "the dead
   others"] that a Klingon warrior is coming.

Okrand on {-ta'} "accomplished" (TKD 41):

  "This suffix is similar to {-pu'}, but it is used when an
   activity was deliberately undertaken, the implication being
   that someone set out to do something and in fact did it."

It is unlikely that the enemy of the proverb *deliberately* set out to die -
unless he committed suicide {HoH'egh}.  (On suicidal enemies see {HIvneS}
"honor-attack" and {HubneS} "honor-defend" [KGT p.49].)  He was deliberately
killed {HoHta'}; he didn't deliberately die {Heghta'}.  In fact, I can find no
examples of {Heghta'} at all in my notes, only {Heghpu'}:

  Heghpu'mo' yaS 
  because the officer died. TKW

  bIHeghvIpchugh bIHeghpu' 
  If you are afraid to die, you have already died. TKW

  QI'tomerDaq Heghpu' Hoch 
  No one survived Khitomer ("Everyone died at Khitomer"). TKW

  tagha' pawpu' meb 'ach pumDI' ('etlh) Heghpu' qagh 
  The guest finally arrived, but by then the gagh had died. (st.k 11/99)

Thus, {Heghpu'bogh jagh} "a dead enemy".



-- 
Voragh                       
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons


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