tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jan 19 07:35:53 2006
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Re: Klingon WOTD: nalqaD (noun)
> >Klingon word: nalqaD
> >Part of Speech: noun
> >Definition: mate challenge
QeS:
>To add to this, {nalqaD} is etymologically an old noun-noun compound *{nal
>qaD} "mate challenge". {qaD} is attested in modern Klingon with the meaning
>"challenge" (both noun and verb); the word *{nal} is no longer found on its
>own, but is well attested in compounds, cf. the words {be'nal} "wife",
>{loDnal} "husband", {'IrneHnal}, {tennuSnal} "uncles by marriage",
>{'e'mamnal}, {me'nal} "aunts by marriage" and {'e'nal} "one who married into
>the family". From this, the old word *{nal} probably has the meaning
>"spouse" or "one who is related or linked by marriage".
{nalqaD} was introduced on KCD where Okrand says, "{nal} is not used as a
word on its own, although it is also found in {be'nal} "wife" and {loDnal}
"husband". Technically, it is a bound morpheme, like English
'(o)logy'." (This may be a paraphrase; I've never actually heard KCD myself.)
BTW, I can't help noticing that {'e'mamnal} and {me'nal} seem to be
variants of {'e'nal}. (Perhaps {be'nal} too, for that matter!) Puns
aside, this may have something to do with the Klingons apparently being a
patrilocal society - with the husband and wife moving to the husband's home
and joining his (or rather his father's) {tuq}.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons