tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 19 16:46:33 2003

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Re: Klingon WOTD: cheH (v)

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

Voragh:
> >Whether {cheH} can take an object (i.e. like a verb of motion) or a
> >complement with {-Daq}, is unknown.  For example, can I say:

Quvar:
>looks strange to me...  Maybe because the dictionary tells me it's 
>intransitive.
>On the other hand, we know that MO has usually (tried to) give us an 
>addition, to make the meaning
>clear.  It's just "defect", not "defect to" or "defect (to an enemy)" or so...

Voragh:
> >In fact, can you defect to a place/people/government in Klingon, or do you
> >have to break the idea up into two sentences?
> >
> >   cheH romuluSngan *Alidar Jarok* Sa'.  romuluS Hov wo'vo' DIvI'may'Duj
> >    'entepray'Daq Haw'ta'.
> >   Romulan General Alidar Jarok defected.  He managed to flee to the
> >    Federation starship Enterprise from the Romulan Star Empire.

Quvar:
>Does "defect" imply "run away, flee"? It reminds me more of "betray".

Yes, movement is implied:  You cross a border and work for an enemy in the 
enemy's homeland (or territory under their control) -- like a Stasi or KGT 
agent who crosses the border and lives in the West in the good old days of 
the Cold War <g>.  Someone who betrays their homeland but stays in their 
own country is certainly a traitor or a spy, but s/he is not yet a 
defector.  (Which is not to say that a defector cannot later be sent back 
into his/her homeland as a spy for the enemy.)

>   cheH romuluSngan *Alidar Jarok* Sa'.  tlhIngan wo' muv/toy' ghaH.
>   "Romulan General Alidar Jarok defected.  He joined/serves the Klingon 
> Empire."

Gen. Jarok is a defector {cheHwI'} and is now in the Klingon Empire.

>   tlhIngan HIvDujDaq toy' wa' romuluSngan. cheHwI' ghaH
>   "One romulan serves on a klingon attack-cruiser. He has defected"

This Romulan is not a defector {cheHwI'}, but rather a traitor 
{maghwI'/'urwI'/bolwI'} and/or a spy {ghoqwI'}.



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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