tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Nov 29 13:44:18 2007
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Re: mentoring
At 02:47 PM Thursday 11/29/2007, Jonathan Webley wrote:
>Can anyone suggest a Klingon translation for "mentor"?
In his novel _Diplomatic Implausibility_ Keith R.A. DeCandido used
{ghojmoHwI'} for mentor, which is generally used for "teacher" on the
List. Apparently Okrand "vetted the glossary", so it's been
approved. {ghojwI'}/{ghojmoHwI'} make a nice pair: teacher/student,
instructor/instructee, master/apprentice, mentor/protege(e), etc.
If the mentor serves a particular house {tuq}, we have other options from
the TV episodes: *ghojmok* and *gin'tak*.
Kahlest was young Worf's {ghojmoq} on Khitomer. After surviving the
Romulan attack on the outpost, she returned home to Kronos, living in
poverty in the First City (TNG "Sins of the Father"). The glosses "nurse,
nanny, governess" in KGT imply a female.
A *gin'tak* - perhaps *{ghIntaq}? - is an advisor so trusted he has been
made part of the family and wears a special ring, bearing the crest of the
House he has pledged pledged his life to defend. In the TNG episode "First
Born" future-Alexander impersonated the real K'mtar, time-travelling to the
past in order to convince his younger self to embrace the warrior ways of
his people. Worf recognized K'mtar's ring, saying that "K'mtar is
*gin'tak* to the House of Mogh". In DS9 "House of Quark", Grilka's elderly
male retainer may have been her (or her dead husband's) *gin'tak*.
AFAIK neither word has ever been discussed by Okrand and for all we know
might be used for either gender. OTOH it may turn out that a *ghojmok* is
the female equivalent of a *ghin'tak*.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons