tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Mar 07 07:32:31 2007
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Re: Klingon WOTD: mu'mey ghoQ (noun)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Wednesday, March 7, 2007.
>
>Klingon word: mu'mey ghoQ
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition: slang
>
>Additional Notes:
>KGT p. 35: The primary difference between the speech of older and younger
>Klingons, however, lies in the choice of vocabulary. Younger Klingons
>describe some of the vocabulary used by their elders as {mu'mey Doy'}
>("tired words"), preferring to use what they call {mu'mey ghoQ} ("fresh
>words") or even {Hol ghoQ} ("fresh language"). (The word {ghoQ}
>["fresh"], in its most narrow usage, applies to just-killed
>meat). Perhaps "slang" is a good translation of {mu'mey ghoQ}. Some
>older Klingons incorporate some of the {mu'mey ghoQ} into their own
>speech, though some claim not to understand the {mu'mey ghoQ} at all (nor
>are they quite sure what the term itself means.)
More additional notes:
KGT 142-43: Except in formal situations, the speech of younger Klingons is
apt to contain a fair amount of slang, or {mu'mey ghoQ} (literally, "fresh
words"). Though the term "slang" can be defined in a number of ways, here
it is used to refer to words used in colloquial speech in the place of or
in addition to standard words. Choosing to express a concept by means of
slang rather than a standard word or phrase is a way to show social
identity. That is, using a common set of special terms marks the users as
members of the same subgroup within the society. Such a subgroup could be
occupational (such as artists or warriors) or geographic, but in the case
of Klingon {mu'mey ghoQ}, the innovative vocabulary is used primarily,
though hardly exclusively, by the younger generation. As with other aspects
of the speech of the younger Klingons, many older Klingons, particularly
those most resistant to any change in Klingon society, avoid using slang
and deride its use. There are some older Klingons, on the other hand, who
use slang quite comfortably, especially when communicating with younger
Klingons. The disagreement about the status of slang is reflected in the
terms used for "standard" or "proper" Klingon words. As noted earlier,
those who tend to favor the use of slang often call standard words {mu'mey
Doy'} ("tired words"). Those who dislike the use of slang, on the other
hand, refer to standard words as {mu'mey qar} ("accurate words").
N.B. {mu'mey ghoQ} should not be confused with {mu'mey ru'}:
KGT 176: Sometimes words or phrases are coined for a specific occasion,
intentionally violating grammatical rules in order to have an impact.
Usually these are never heard again, though some gain currency and might as
well be classified as slang. Klingon grammarians call such forms {mu'mey
ru'} ("temporary words"). Sometimes, {mu'mey ru'} fill a void--that is,
give voice to an idea for which there is no standard (or even slang)
expression; sometimes, like slang, they are just more emphatic ways of
expressing an idea. A common way to create these constructions is to bend
the grammatical rules somewhat, violating the norm in a way that is so
obvious that there is no question that it is being done intentionally. To
do this is expressed in Klingon as {pabHa'} ("misfollow [the rules], follow
[the rules] wrongly").
Examples of {mu'mey ghoQ} are given in the KGT chapter on "Language Change
and Staying Current", under "Vocabulary: Slang," pages 142-167.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons