tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jul 18 09:52:11 2003
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Re: Klingon WOTD: qan (v)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Friday, July 18, 2003.
>
>Klingon word: qan
>Part of Speech: verb
>Definition: be old (not young)
As used in canon:
bIqanmo'
because you are old. TKD
SuvwI'pu' qan tu'lu'be'
There are no old warriors. TKW
qanchoHpa' qoH, Hegh qoH
Fools die young. TKW
qan; QI'tu' rur
He/she is as old as Qui'Tu. KGT
'ugh SuvwI' qan
The old warrior is heavy. KGT
'uH SuvwI' qan
The old warrior has a hangover. KGT
qan qI'empeq
K'mpec is old. (HQ 10.2:9)
While {qan} refers to people, {ngo'} "be old (not new)" generally does not:
ngo'; QI'tu' rur
"old as Qui'Tu")
"The word {ngo'} in the phrase above means 'old' as opposed to 'new.'
Thus,
it would be applied to objects or ideas, but not to animals or people. To
say that a person is extremely old, the phrase would be {qan; QI'tu' rur}
('He/she is as old as Qui'Tu')." [KGT 130]
There is an idiomatic gesture with the verb {qan} "use the pinkie (little
finger)": to point your pinkie at someone is to comment that you believe
they are old (i.e. {qan}). (HQ 10.2:9)
Although a *{qanwI'} could be old person ("someone who's old") - not to be
confused with {qanwI'} little finger, pinkie finger"! - we also have the
noun {qup} "elder".
>Additional Notes:
>Opposite of {Qup}.
Cf. also {Doy'} "be tired" (e.g. {mu'mey Doy'} "tired words" refers to
older Klingons' language, i.e. it's "old-fashioned" [KGT 35]), {notlh} "be
obsolete", {tIQ} "be ancient".
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons