tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri May 21 07:29:54 2004

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Re: Klingon WOTD: pagh (n)

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

>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Friday, May 21, 2004.
>
>Klingon word:   pagh
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition:     no one

As used in canon:

   lojmIt poSDaq Daq pagh
   No one eavesdrops at an open door. PK

   yay 'oS bey. 'IQ pagh.
   This yell is victorious in nature, rather than mournful... S31
   (lit. "The yell represents victory. No one is sad.")

Note the other gloss as "nothing, none", which is more of an English 
distinction.  There's no real reason we couldn't translate {pagh} in the 
following example "no one", except that "nothing" is somewhat more idiomatic:

   Qu' buSHa'chugh SuvwI', batlhHa' vangchugh, qoj matlhHa'chugh, pagh ghaH 
SuvwI''e'.
   If a warrior ignores duty, acts dishonorably, or is disloyal, he is 
nothing. TKW
   [?If a warrior ignores duty, acts dishonorably, or is disloyal, he is no 
one.]

And Okrand translated the last canon example of {pagh} completely 
idiomatically, avoiding the issue entirely:

   pa'vo' pagh leghlu'
   The room has no view. CK
   (lit. "From the room nothing/no one is seen.")

The antonym {pagh} is {vay'} "someone, something; anyone, anything " - also 
with no distinction as to person vs. thing.



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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