tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jun 09 07:51:42 2005
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: Klingon WOTD: quv (noun)
Holtej:
>Klingon word: quv
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition: honor
>
>Synonyms: batlh
Se'noj tamwI':
> > I would seriously question whether its a synonym...
Se'noj is right: They're not perfect synonyms; there is a slight=20
difference in usage.
lay'tel SIvten:
> >> Why? Any examples?
There are many examples of both but, in brief, I've long argued that {quv=
}=20
was reputation/(personal) honor (the Asian idea of "face" if you will)=20
while {batlh} was Honor in general (i.e. honor with a capital "H"). The=20
key for me was that untranslated line at the beginning of "Power Klingon"=
:
quvwIj DatIchpu', tera'ngan.
[You have insulted my honor, Terran.] PK
IOW you defend your {quv} by dueling. Cf. KGT (p.67):
Dueling=AD-that is, challenging someone to a fight, usually to the
death, over a matter of honor=AD-is a longstanding Klingon practice.
Maltz finally confirmed this interpretation in an article about the=20
vocabulary of honor, pseudo-honor, non-honor and dishonor in HolQeD 12.3 =
(p.9):
All this talk of pseudohonor and nonhonor logically led to a discussio=
n
of honor itself, normally expressed by the nouns {quv} and {batlh}, bo=
th
usually defined as simply "honor". When asked to distinguish between t=
he
two, Maltz said, "{tlhIngan Soj 'oH-=96not bIyaj,}" literally, "It is
Klingon food=AD-you will not understand," using {Soj} "food" in its id=
io-
matic sense of "matter, concern, affair". Nevertheless, he then went o=
n,
though a bit begrudgingly, to say that {quv} was a sort of personal ho=
nor,
the kind over which, by one's behavior, one has some control. This sor=
t
of honor is earned, can be bestowed on one, and is associated with rep=
u-
tation, dignity, and respect. {batlh}, on the other hand, is a grander=
,
more general, more philosophical concept, associated with integrity,
rectitude, scruples, and principles. Unfortunately, he didn't give
examples or elaborate any further. He did add, however, that neither
{quv} nor {batlh} was the same as {pop}, usually translated "reward" b=
ut
sometimes translated "honor" in the sense of "token of esteem", that i=
s,
formal recognition of an accomplishment or accomplishments.
That last bit refers to the proverb in TKW (p.47):
pop 'oH ghob'e'
Virtue is the reward.
["This proverb does not mean 'Virtue is honor.' The use of the word {p=
op}
suggests that virtue is the honor bestowed as a result of acting in =
a
manner respectful of society's values, not simply advocating them."
E.g. "He earned many honors during his long career."
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons