tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed May 31 07:31:00 2006
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Re: Klingon WOTD: Hur'Iq (noun)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Wednesday, May 31, 2006.
>
>Klingon word: Hur'Iq
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition: outsider, foreigner (slang)
>
>Synonyms: nov
"This word originally referred only to the people known as the Hur'q, a
race of humanoids from the Gamma Quadrant who developed a reputation as
ruthless invaders who would attack other societies primarily for the
purpose of robbery, stealing whatever they could and destroying the rest.
The Hur'q invaded the Klingon homeworld some 1,000 years ago, and the loss
to the Klingons was so disastrous, not to mention humiliating, that Klingon
society became increasingly intolerant of other races. In time, the Hur'q
came to symbolize any non-Klingon. Actually, in Klingon, a Hur'q person
would be {Hur'Iqngan}, while {Hur'Iq} refers to Hur'q society or their
homeland. This shorter word took on the slang meaning of 'outsider,
foreigner'. The standard term for 'foreigner, alien' is {nov}."
[KGT 153; cf. DS9 "The Sword of Kahless"]
There's also a simile WRT the Hur'q:
wIH; Hur'Iqngan rur
ruthless as a Hur'q (KGT)
That {Hur'Iq} seems to be composed of {Hur} "outside" and {'Iq} "be too
many/too much" may imply that the word is an Old Klingon term - meaning
something like "swarm of outsiders" perhaps? (Certainly {Hur} "outside" is
significant, if not {'Iq}.) If so, what they called themselves is still
unknown.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons