tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 08 08:01:43 2005

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Re: tears (Re: Mr. Charles, revisited)

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



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






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