Re: pIn'a'

[Steven Boozer <sboozer@midway.uchicago.edu>]

'ISqu' asked:
>mu' {pIn'a'} lo' MO?
>Is the word {pIn'a'} ever used in canon?

ghobe'.  not {pIn'a'} lo'pu'law' Okrand.
No.  AFAIK Okrand has never used {pIn'a'}.

The only information I have in my notes WRT {pIn'a'} is this comment ~mark 
made to the list some time ago:

   "I think Okrand didn't mean {pIn'a'} for Master in this sense...one who is
    knowledgeable in a field. He mentioned once, I think, that he's looking for
    a better term for this meaning."

>vay' DelmeH, ghorgh mu'vam lo'laH tlhInganpu'?
>Any idea what kind of person would be regarded as a master?

Some people in fandom do use {pIn'a'} as a title - e.g. Dahar Master (Kor 
is one, whatever that is [DS9 "Blood Oath"]) or Basai Master (a type of 
master poet [DS9 "Looking for par'Mach..."]).  But since {pIn} is glossed 
as "boss" and not "teacher", I believe {pIn'a'} "master" must be understood 
in the sense of master {pIn'a'} vs. servant {toy'wI'}/slave (toy'wI''a'}.

There's a line in ST6:

   Khmarr:  DIHIvbe'chugh qo'chajDaq toy'wI''a' DImoj. (?)
            "Attack or be slaves in their world."

It's likely that when MO created {toy'wI''a'} "slave", he coined {pIn'a'} 
"master" at the same time, in case he might need it.  Notice how both words 
are formed with the augmentative suffix {-'a'}: {pIn} "boss} vs. {pIn'a'} 
"master"; {toy'wI'} "servant" vs. {toy'wI''a'} "slave".

Finally, and more telling, the verb {toy'} is glossed "serve (a master)" in 
TKD (as opposed to {jab} "serve food").

Now, whether you can use {pIn'a'} to refer to one's teacher (e.g. Latin 
*magister*) is not known.  Klingon warriors might well be very touchy about 
referring to themselves, even metaphorically, as someone's servant or 
slave.  (We know, for example, that it's a cultural taboo for Klingons to 
use the verb suffix {-vIp} "afraid" to refer to themselves.)


-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons