tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 01 07:24:25 2005
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Re: new word #3
Voragh:
> >{qel} "take into account, consider" was a poor fit. I've always felt that
> >it should have a person as its subject since considering is a type of
> >thinking and books can't think. (OK, maybe computers can think.)
QeS:
>In my opinion, given the second gloss "take into account", one might be able
>to say {HolQeD qel paqvam} "this book takes linguistics into account, this
>book considers linguistics"; it could be said about, say, an archaeology
>textbook that also deals with glottochronology. But it's nonetheless a big
>step from {HolQeD qel paqvam} "this book takes linguistics into account" to
>{HolQeD bop paqvam} "this book is about linguistics".
My point was that I don't know whether Klingons anthropomorphize
(Klingonomorphize?) inanimate objects as we often do often. Although it's
true that we often say in English that "the book talks about X" or "the
books discusses X" or even "this article describes X", I'm not sure we can
do this in Klingon. Remember, Klingons don't even anthropomorphize their
pets - i.e. they're grammatically things, not people or, in Klingon terms:
they're {'oH}/{-mey} nouns, not {ghaH}/{-pu'} nouns.
Can anyone think of an example where an inanimate object performs some
action normally associated with people or other "beings capable of using
language"?
QeS:
>That being said, the only canon instances I could find of {qel} are the
>proverb {Hoch nuH yIqel} "consider every weapon!" and its parallel {Hoch DuH
>yIqel} "consider every possibility!", which are both clearly talking about
>sentient consideration.
In addition to {Hoch nuH yIqel} and its variants, there are two more examples:
batlh qelDI' tlhIngan, lumbe'
A Klingon does not postpone a matter of honor. [TKW]
SuvwI' quvlIj yIqel!
Consider your warrior's honor! [Day of Honor postcard]
All of Okrand's examples have a person as its subject. Only Mailing List
usage has extended it to articles, books, plays, films, and the like for
lack of an alternative. But now we have {bop}.
Voragh:
> >Related words include {buS} "concentrate on, focus on, think only about";
> >{nga'chuq} "discuss, confer" and {ngach} "debate".
QeS:
>Er, I believe that "discuss, confer" is {ja'chuq}; {nga'chuq} is a different
>thing entirely (viz. "perform sex"). That's not a pair to get mixed up.
Quite. IIRC {nga'chuq} was the WOTD a few days ago and I guess it was
still on my mind! <g>
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons