tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Apr 26 14:06:00 2006
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Re: par' vs. muS?
Mark Okrand (in KGT) wrote:
> >... couples (officially married and otherwise) tend to call each
> >other by pet names (sometimes called endearments or hypocorisms or,
> >in Klingon, {bang pongmey} ["beloveds' names"]). A {bang pong} is
> >usually couple-specific - that is, the set of expressions used by
> >one couple is different from that used by another couple. Pet names
> >are almost never uttered unless the two members of the couple are
> >alone and, therefore, are seldom known by anyone else. Indeed, one
> >of the defining characteristics of a {bang pong} is that it be
> >secret, known only by the two members of the couple. (KGT 199-200)
Shane MiQogh:
>Pet names..? It's hard enough trying to come up with a Klingon name
>without basing it on a name you already have... I'm sure there are quite a
>few out there that people know of by some cannon source, but it'd be
>intresting to get a few for those of us who don't have such canon resources...
{bang pongmey} are not based on your actual name. In fact, the rules for
forming them are quite obscure. (I suspect that most of them originate in
a private joke between the parties involved.) The passage from KGT continues:
The phenomenon of the {bang pong}, however, is not secret. Usually,
parents teach their children how the system works and have to give
examples in doing so, though it is not known whether the example pet
names are actual pet names used by the parents doing the teaching.
Sometimes, however, children learn about the custom from other
children. In particular, younger children often tell each other pet
names they have heard. A child who has a reputation for revealing
pet names is usually quite popular among other children, though
older Klingons, upon finding out about his or her lack of propriety,
will certainly take disciplinary action. As children grow older and
start to experience {parmaq} ("love, romance") themselves, they tend
to become quite protective of their own {bang pongmey}.
Primarily because of the conversations of children, but also
because, despite all precautions, one member of a couple is on rare
occasion overheard saying a {bang pong}, it is possible to give a
small number of examples. A {bang pong} is formed by attaching {-oy},
the suffix indicating endearment, to an everyday noun. Most of the
resulting terms make very little sense to anyone not in the parti-
cular relationship, and none translates well. Some pet terms are
based on words for kinds of food, such as {chatlhoy} and {'awje'oy}.
Perhaps these words could be rendered in Federation Standard as
"soupy" and "poppy" (from "soda pop"), though neither translation
conveys the intimacy and intensity of the Klingon. Other terms
consist of words for weapons plus {-oy}: for example: {yanoy},
{HIchoy}, {tajoy}, {jorwI'oy}. A third type involves body parts,
Klingon or otherwise, as in {'uSoy}, {'aDoy}, {pIpoy}, {pachoy}.
Another term based on a body part, {Ho'oy}, is one of the few that
makes sense to a non-Klingon if it is remembered that {Ho'} is a
slang term for "hero, idol". (It is also enormously important that
this word be pronounced correctly so that it is not misconstrued
as {Ho''oy'} ["toothache"]).
Because of the nature of the {parmaq} relationship, misusing a
{bang pong} is a serious cultural offense. This could mean, among
other things, revealing a {bang pong} to someone other than one's
{parmaqqay}, revealing a third party's {bang pong} (regardless of
how this information was acquired), addressing one's {parmaqqay}
by the wrong pet name, or using a {bang pong} in a public setting.
Unless a visitor gets involved in a serious relationship with a
Klingon, it is strongly advised that one avoid saying anything that
can be misinterpreted as a misused {bang pong}. (KGT 200-201)
Mark Okrand:
> >We do know that there is a Klingon word for "love," meaning something
> >like what we mean by the word. It is {parmaq}. We heard this word for
> >the first time in a recent episode of Deep Space Nine where Dax says
> >that parmaq is "the Klingon word for 'love,' but with more aggressive
> >overtones." She accuses Worf of having a "bad case" of {parmaq}, which
> >suggests it's a noun. ... Unfortunately, so far, that's about all we
> >know about the Klingon word for "love." I'll have to do some additional
> >research to find out how the word is used correctly in a sentence. Since
> >it's Klingon love we're talking about here, I wouldn't be surprised to
> >learn that it doesn't work in at all the same way as the Federation
> >Standard word "love." (msn.onstage.startrek.expert.okrand 12/12/96)
Shane MiQogh:
>i don't think klingons are insuseptable to usage of verbs as nouns.
>particularly that verb in english is often used as a noun describing the
>verb form. "You have a bad case of love" actually makes a little sence in
>english as a slang term, it may be the same for klingon, so don't
>completely rule it as a noun *YET*, but i don't suggest using it as a verb
>either.
{parmaq} is indeed a noun, not a verb. After his additional research,
Okrand labelled it "love, romance (n)" in the KGT glossary.
Mark Okrand wrote in TKD (p. 180):
> >While the object of the verb is the recipient of the action,
> >the indirect object may be considered the beneficiary. In a
> >Klingon sentence, the indirect object precedes the object
> >and is suffixed with the Type 5 noun suffix {-vaD} "for,
> >intended for". The suffix may be attached to either a noun
> >or a pronoun.
Shane MiQogh:
>That makes me wonder... "I have to tell Sarah what was said". Wouldn't
>Sarah be treated as the indirect object and put -vaD at the end of her
>name, or would, in this case, i just use nuq even though that would imply
>it's a question....?
Unlike English, {nuq} "what" is never used as a pronoun in Klingon so this
problem doesn't arise. Instead, you need to repeat the actual noun ("her
words", "my speech", "his idea", etc.) or use a relative clause with
{-bogh}. Examples of the latter method:
vay' DaneHbogh yIchargh
Conquer what you desire. TKW
Dajatlhbogh vIyajlaHbe'. yIjatlhqa'!
I find no match for what you just said. Please say it again.
(KCD .wav "Error message")
jar DamaSqu'bogh yIngu'
What is your favorite month?
("Identify the month that you very much prefer!") (st.klingon 12/96)
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons