tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Oct 20 07:57:55 2005
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Re: Klingon WOTD: SuvwI' (noun)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Thursday, October 20, 2005.
>
>Klingon word: SuvwI'
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition: warrior
>
>Additional Notes:
>KGT p. 49: The quintessential Klingon person, of course, is the warrior,
>and there are several words for "warrior." The most commonly heard term
>is {SuvwI'} (literally, "one who fights" or "fighter"). This word is used
>in most circumstances and is never inappropriate. Indeed, it is often
>preferred because it states explicitly what a warrior does: fight. Other
>words for "warrior" are {mang} and {vaj}.
There are far too many canon examples to list, but the next two sentences
from KGT are useful:
The word {mang} is used when the warrior under discussion is
described in terms of his membership in a fighting unit and
is often translated as "soldier". {vaj} refers more to the
notion of "warriorhood" or the idea of "being a warrior" than
it does to an individual warrior.
More on this distinction in the explanation to the idiom {vaj Duj chIj}
"navigate a warrior ship" (KGT pp.113-115):
This is a way to say "have strength of character" ... It is
noteworthy that in this idiom the word for "warrior" is not
the frequently heard {SuvwI'}, which would denote an individual
warrior, but rather is {vaj}, which refers to the whole idea
of being a warrior. Thus, when {Duj} is taken to mean "instincts",
{vaj Duj} refers to the instincts associated with being a warrior
or the instincts needed for combat; {SuvwI' Duj} would mean the
instincts of a specific warrior. If {Duj} is taken to mean "ship",
{vaj Duj} ("warrior ship") would suggest that the ship itself has
the characteristics of a warrior, a perfectly reasonable notion.
To express that a ship is that of a specific warrior, the word
{SuvwI'} is appropriate: {SuvwI' Duj} ("warrior's ship").
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons