tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Nov 12 08:39:24 2007
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Re: chu''a' cha' mu', wej mu' ghap?
Doq:
> >> There are some words I have not seen before. Where
> >> did the following words come from?
> >> jIn
ghunchu'wI':
> > I don't recognize this one. Might it be a typo for
> > {jIm} "heave" (HolQeD 11:2, page 9)?
ter'eS:
>A typo?! And I suppose "brew" is a typo for "heave"?
>
>I admit I'm not too good at retaining the sources of the new words, but I
>promise you I have _never_
>included in Kliflash a word I just cobbled together or assumed the
>spelling of. Maybe Voragh will come to my
>rescue.
This was a supposed word based on a suggested etymology. ~mark reported on
a conversation he had with Okrand:
I remember [Okrand] and I actually were discussing *raktajino*
while he was working on the book [i.e. KGT], as soon as we
both found out that it was Klingon coffee... He really hated
the *-ino* ending, since it sounded too obviously like
"cappuccino", and said he'd have to check with Maltz about
*raktaj* ... and I had the theory that the Klingon wasn't
"raktaj" or whatever, but actually *raktajin* and the -o
was added by marketers for similarity with Terran brews. Why
raktajin? Because it was brewed from {raHta'}, making it
*{raHta'jIn}.
Apparently Okrand decided on a completely different etymology:
Though not native to the Empire, Klingons have developed a way to
make coffee ({qa'vIn}) particularly strong, both in flavor and in
its effect as a stimulant, and it is a very popular beverage. As
a rule, coffee is consumed plain--that is, black--but some Klingons
prefer to mix other ingredients in with the coffee. If some kind of
{HIq} ("liquor") is added to the coffee, the drink is called {ra'taj}.
It is said that the drink was originally nicknamed {ra'wI' taj}
("commander's knife", suggestive of its potency), and that the name
was shortened over time. This often repeated story cannot be confirmed.
In any event, {ra'taj} became one of the few Klingon foods to become
popular outside of the Empire, though in an altered form. Instead of
containing liquor, as does the genuine Klingon {ra'taj}, the "export"
version (which came to be pronounced *raktaj* in Federation Standard)
consists of strong Klingon coffee plus a nutlike flavoring. Eventually,
a new fashion developed--adding cream to the *raktaj*--and with this
innovation came yet another name, *raktajino*, modeled after the name
of another popular coffee drink, cappuccino. *Raktajino* is now served
hot or iced, with or without extra cream, and with or without the rind
of some fruit to add even more flavor. Though it is sometimes called
"Klingon coffee," it is quite different from both plain {qa'vIn} and
the alcoholic {ra'taj}. [KGT 95-96]
Note that {vut} "prepare food" apparently covers the idea of "brew" as well
as adding ingredients to your {ra'taj}:
In fact, {vut} can also be used in reference to making a beverage,
whether simply mixing ingredients together (such a putting cream
in coffee) or starting from scratch (such as brewing ale).
[KGT 83]
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons