tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 25 03:55:20 2003

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Re: Possible -wI' words



>Lately, I've been thinking about the suffix -wI' and
>how many possible nouns could be formed using it,

Every verb + {-wI'} can be a new noun. It's just the meaning which is not always so clear.

Many of the things you've listed here are grammatically correct. 
   wot+{wI'} = "verb"+(-er)
   {vum-wI'} -- "work-er"
"someone/thing which does..."
With verbs of quality, the translation is "s.th/s.o. who is ...."

But you must remember that Klingon is very much verb-based, and not as we are used to english, 
based on nouns. You see this when you look at the words: the are "treated" grammatically as nouns, 
but it's still a VERB plus a suffix!
What do you need all these nouns for? You can recast most of them very easily:

"There are many victims"
  {Heghpu' SuvwI' law'}
    = "many warriors died"

"I have a problem with my computer"
  {qay' De'wI'wIj}
    = "my computer is a problem"

"There are only drunks around here"
  {naDev chech Hoch}
    = "here, everyone is drunk"

"I need to go to the barber"
  {jIbwIj chIpnISmoHlu'}
    = "my hair needs to be cut"

a.s.o.

>{bech} = suffer  *bechwI'* = victim

No, it's "someone who suffers". Doesn't need to be a victim.

>{bI'} = sweep (away)  *bI'wI'* = broom

What about the person who uses the broom? That could also be a {bI'wI'}

>{bogh} = be born  *boghwI'* = newborn

a newborn is a baby: {ghu}
everyone is a {boghwI'} "one who is born". 

>{chech} = be drunk  *chechwI'* = drunk, boozehound

Yes, "one who is drunk"

>{che'} = rule, preside  *che'wI'* = ruler

or even "president", "King", "mayor"
(not a "ruler" to measure, of course :-)

>{Da} = behave as, act in...  *DawI'* = actor

lu'.

>{Dab} = dwell in/at  *DabwI'* = resident

"inhabitant" {ngan}

>{Hat} = be illegal  *HatwI'* = contraband

Not only the person, a thing can also be illegal.

>{jeq} = protrude from  *jeqwI'* = protrusion

"protruder"

>{je'} = buy, purchase  *je'wI'* = customer

also "someone who feeds"

>{jum} = be odd  *jumwI'* = oddball

"someone/thing who is odd"

>{legh} = see  *leghwI'* = viewer

But not the viewing screen. This is a "see-er", someone who sees.
Better word for a watcher is {bejwI'}

>{luj} = fail, lose  *lujwI'* = loser, failure

only "loser"

>{matlh} = be loyal  *matlhwI'* = patriot

You could say that "patriot" could be translated into klingon as {matlhwI'}, but a {matlhwI'} is 
literally just "somebody who is loyal"

>{ngeb} = be counterfiet, false, fake  *ngebwI'* =
>fraud

"thing which is fake" - why not {Doch ngeb}?

>{qay'} = be a problem  *qay'wI'* = problem
NO
{qay'} "be a problem, a hassle"
{qay'wI'} "thing or person who is a problem, a hassle"
But not "a problem"

Like when I say {DujDaq qay'wI' tu'lu'} it could mean that there is a trouble-maker in the ship.

>{tob} = test conclusively, prove  *tobwI'* = test

NO: "tester" or "thing/one who proves"

>{toD} = save, rescue  *toDwI'* = savior

"saver", "person who does resue"


Quvar.




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