tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Mar 09 20:39:15 2004

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Re: partially analyzable words in tkd

De'vID jonwI' ([email protected]) 

qon lay'tel SIvten:
>here are the words from tkd which are partially analyzable.  the underlined 
>parts are the known parts.
>1. these words have a known first element and unknown second element.  they 
>are sorted by the second element.

I'm going to expand beyond TKD in this message.  And I'm also
going to list some words which seem to be composed of the
same parts as your partially analyzable words, but for which
none of the parts are known separately.

>peQ ++ chem : magnetic field (n) [peQ = magnetism (n)]
>HoS + chem : energy field (n) [HoS = be strong (v); strength, energy, power 
>(n)]

Both elements of the following are unknown, and one isn't from TKD,
but they seem to follow the same pattern.  This is a strong hint
that <-chem> is an element meaning "field", which perhaps either
once existed as a word (and perhaps still does) or is a
shortening of <HoSchem>.

Sur + chem : force field (n)
pIv + chem : warp field (n) [from BoP poster]

(Non-canonically, I've also used *<tlhamchem> for "gravitational
field", in my notes on black holes.  I suppose that I would use
*<'ulchem> for "electrical field" as well.)

I thought I'd also mention (from the BoP poster):
pIv + ghor : warp drive (n)
pIv + lob : warp factor (n)

We have <pIv> (v) "be healthy", <ghor> (v) "break", <ghor>
(n) surface (of a planet), and <lob> (v) "obey".

Stretching out even further, we also have:

Hongghor : impulse drive (n)

But this time, we *do* have <Hong> (n) "impulse power" from TKD!

>pu' + DaH : phaser banks (n) [pu' = phaser (n)]

begh DaH (two words) : deflector array (n)
                       [begh = deflectors (n), from BoP]
chuy + DaH : thrusters (n)
DaH : array, bank (n) [from BoP and KGT]
nISwI' DaH : disruptor banks (n) [KGT]
pIvchem lIngwI' DaH : warp field generation array (n) [BoP]
pIvghor lIngwI' DaH : warp generation array (n) [BoP]
So'wI' DaH : cloak array (n) [BoP]

>qaw + Haq : memory banks (n) [K-E], data banks (singular) (n) [E-K] [qaw = 
>remember (v)]

No idea, but maybe <Haq> was the word Okrand had in mind
before he decided on <DaH> for "array, banks"?  (In other
words, maybe <Haq> is an ancient form for <DaH>. :) )

>qIb + HeS : galactic rim (n) [qIb = galaxy (n); HeS = commit a crime (v), 
>crime (n)]

<HeS> is possibly an archaic form of <HeH> (or a typo, or a
different word altogether).

>Qap + la' : success (n) [Qap = work, function, succeed (v)]

I think the writers just made this one up.  (Of course it *could*
mean "the commander (<la'>) succeeds".)

>SeH + law : control panel (n) [SeH = control (v)]

Qum SeHlaw : communications console (n) [TKD]

>Sot + law' : distress call (n) [Sot = be distressed, be in distress (v)]

This could be a verb: "apparently, they're in distress"... which
got turned into a noun through time and repetition.  This is
similar to our "S.O.S." = "Save Our Ship".  "They're sending out
an S.O.S./Save Our Ship/distress call", <Sotlaw' ('e') lab>,
where the <'e'> was dropped over time.

There's also:
teblaw' : jurisdiction (n)

But <teb> is (v) "fill".  (Perhaps <teb> at one point also
had a meaning of "to have jurisdiction over"?)

>jaj + lo' : dawn (n) [jaj = day (from dawn to dawn) (n)]

Probably completely unrelated:

'aQlo' : forehead (n)
neSlo' : small mirror (n)

But possibly <-lo'> meant "top of", "small part of"?

>ghoj + moq : nurse, nanny, governess (n) [ghoj = learn (v)]

I bet the writers looked up <ghojmoH> to find "teacher",
didn't add the <-wI'>, and the actor pronounced <H> as
<q> and MO back-canonized the word.  But that's just a
guess. :)

>may' + morgh : battle array (n) [may' = battle (n)]

There's also:

rejmorgh : worrywart

(Perhaps a reference to Barclay?)

>loD + nal : husband (n) [loD = male, man (n)]
>be' + nal : wife (n) [be' = female, woman (n)]

nal + qaD : mate challenge (n) [KGT]

So <nal> probably means "mate, spouse".

>loD + nI' : brother (n) [loD = male, man (n)]
>vav + nI' : grandfather (n) [vav = father (n)]
>SoS + nI' : grandmother (n) [SoS = mother (n)]
>be' + nI' : sister (n) [be' = female, woman (n)]

There's a verb <-nI'> "be long, lengthy (duration)".  Perhaps
analogous (somewhat) to our "grand-" prefix?

>DaS + pu' : boot spike (n) [DaS = boot (n)]

I have in my notes that <pu'> "phaser" is also an ancient
word for "spike", but no source is cited for this.  Anyone
help me out here?  KGT perhaps?

>cha' + puj : dilithium (n) [cha' = two (num); show, display (picture) (v)]

beq + puj : type of mineral (n) [KGT]

This suggests <puj> could be a type of mineral.

>tay + qeq : civilization (n) [tay = be civilized (v)]

<qeq> (n) "drill (military", (v) "practice, train, prepare"

>qup + rIp : Council of Elders (n) [qup = elder (n)]

<rIp> (n) "council, assembly" (TKD), so this one's fully
analyzable. :)

>yIn + tagh : life-support system (n) [yIn = life (n); live (v)]

<tagh> (n) "lung" [TKD Appendix]

So <yIntagh> is probably just <yIn> (n) "life" + <tagh> (n)
"lung".  But it could also be <tagh> (v) "begin a process,
initiate".

>muv + tay : initiation (n) [muv = join (v)]

chon + tay : ritual hunt (n) [chon = hunt (v), TKD]
Hegh + tay : death ritual (n) [Hegh = die (v), TKD]
nen + tay : rite of ascension (n) [nen = be mature,
                                   grown-up, adult, TKD/KGT]
qutluch tay : Kutluch Ceremony (n) [KGT]
ruS + tay : bonding ritual (n) [TKD Appendix]
tay : ceremony, rite, ritual (n) [TKD Appendix]

So <muvtay> is fully analyzable, as are all of these <-tay> words
except <ruStay>.  We're missing a word or element *<ruS> meaning
"to bond".

>Hov + tay' : star system (n) [Hov = star (n)]
>mu' + tay' : vocabulary (n) [mu' = word (n)]

This is just <tay'> (v) "be together".  <Hov tay'> would be
"stars which are together" and <mu' tay'> is "words which are
together".

>HI' + tuy' : dictatorship (n) [HI' = dictator (n)]

No glottal stop on <HI'tuy>.  There's also <tuy'> (v) "spit".

>vatlh + vI' : percent (n) [vatlh = hundred (num)]

<vI'> is (n) "decimal point" [KGT].  It might also be (v)
"accumulate".

>jol + voy' : transporter ionizer unit (n) [jol = beam (aboard) (v); 
>transport beam (n)]

I wish I knew which part of <voy'> was "ion" and which was
"unit". :)

>2. these words have an unknown first element and a known second element.  
>note that the first three all appear to be verb+{-wI'}.
>cham + wI' : technician [-wI' = one who is/does]

<cham> is (n) "technology" from KGT.

>jon + wI' : engineer [-wI' = one who is/does]

<jonta'> (n) "engine".  There's an interesting story behind
the words <jon> and <jonta'> and ST:III which I'm sure some
other member of the list can relate better than I can.

>nub + wI' : predecessor [-wI' = one who is/does; nub = be suspect (v)]

I think this is a joke.  The word <nubwI'> preceded <nung> (v)
to "precede" in the dictionary.  Either that or MO mixed up
<nub> and <nung>.

I think <De'wI'> also belongs in this category of "noun" + <-wI'>
words.

>tong + Duj : freighter (n) [Duj = ship, vessel (n); instincts (n)]
>toQ + Duj : Bird of Prey (vessel) (n) [Duj = ship, vessel (n); instincts 
>(n)]

We do know that <toQ> is a kind of bird of prey (HolQeD 10.4).

>vere + ngan : Ferengi (n) [ngan = inhabitant (n)]

The name of the Ferengi homeworld is probably *<vereng>
in Klingon.  Sometimes when <-ngan> is added to a planet's name
the final <-n> in the planet's name is dropped, and this likely
happens with <-ng> as well.

>3. these words have at least three syllables, and at least one of them is 
>known. a.  this pair of words has no obvious calques.
>lol + SeH + cha : attitude-control thrusters (n) [SeH = control (v)]

<lol> (v) "be in an attitude (aircraft)" [HolQeD 11.2]
<cha> (n) "torpedoes"

<'eDSeHcha> take-off/landing thrusters [BoP]

I seem to recall reading MO making a joke about <cha> "torpedoes"
being part of words meaning "thrusters" as a possible indication
of ancient Klingon technological development.  I think it was in
an issue of HolQeD.  (Anyone?)

>yuQ + jIj + Qa' : United Federation of Planets (n) [yuQ = planet (n); jIj = 
>to cooperate (v)]

There's also <yuQjIjDIvI'> which means the same thing, and for
which we know the meanings of the parts.  (<Qa'> is probably an
insulting way for Klingons to refer to *the* <DIvI'>. :) )

>b.  these two words/phrases have apparent borrowings from federation 
>standard:
>DenIb ++ Qatlh : Denebian slime devil (n) [DenIb = Denebia (n)]
>Serman + yuQ : Sherman's Planet (n) [yuQ = planet (n)]

What makes you think that <DenIb> and <Serman> are not Klingon
names?  (You probably think that the Klingon poet Shex'pir was a
human, too!)

>c. these three words designate native klingon concepts and so the 
>federation standard word is borrowed from the klingon.
>tlhI + ngan : Klingon (n) [ngan = inhabitant (n)]

<tlhIng yoS> is a district on the Klingon Homeworld.

Thanks for starting this thread.  As Mr. Spock would say: "Fascinating."

--
De'vID

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