tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 08 08:01:43 2005
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Re: tears (Re: Mr. Charles, revisited)
Voragh:
> > ... and not Klingon. Okrand/Maltz has told us explicitly there's no word
> > for "tear":
> >
> > For Klingons, even though there is a word for "cry" ({SaQ}), there
> > is no word for "tear" or "tears", undoubtedly because Klingons have
> > no tear ducts. The only thing Maltz could think of that eyes do
> > from time to time is "redden" (DoqchoH}, literally "become red" or
> > "change to red"). (HQ 12.4:9)
qIno'rIq:
>So, could we form the N[[V-NOMSuf]-N] {SaQghach bIQ} like "crying water"?
Hmm... "(the) crying's water"
1) Don't put {-ghach} directly on a verb stem; always interpose another
suffix: e.g. *{SaQtaHghach}, *{SaQqu'ghach}, *{SaQmoHghach}, etc.
2) The water {bIQ} isn't crying, your eyes {mInDu'} are.
3) If you really want to keep the idea of water, make this a purpose
noun: *{SaQmeH bIQ} "water for (the purpose of) crying", though this
doesn't feel quite right. Tears aren't used for crying, they're the result
of crying. (For example, *{SaQmoHmeH SIp} "gas for [causing] crying" would
be a perfect translation for "tear gas".)
4) Even better, use {-bogh}: *{SaQbogh mInDu'} "crying eyes" ("eyes that
cry").
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons