tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 17 06:51:11 2009
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RE: Query on -choHmoHwI'
Mark J. Reed:
>>I see you're still using {lamHa'}. So why not {Say'}?
qe'San:
>Before my first email I was personally using {Say'} but as I started
>thinking about what I wanted to ask I realised that we had canon use of
>{lamHa'} for "clean" in the sense of removing dirt
>
>*TKD p170: Where can I get my shoes cleaned? - nuqDaq waqwIj
>vIlamHa'choHmoH
>
>I realise that doesn't mean it's right for teeth but as there appears to me
>to be a predisposition against Klingons cleaning for the sake of it. The aim
>of what I am doing when cleening my teeth is to remove as much dirt as I can
>and I believe that follows the same idea regarding cleaning shoes.
>
>So looking at it like that I thought I might say:
> Say' Ho'Du'wIj - for "my teeth are clean."
>but
> Ho'Du'wIj vIlamHa'choHmoH - for "I clean my teeth."
>
>I tried to think about what's the difference between be clean and be undirty...
>So applying that to undirty or clean I thought if my intention is to remove
>dirt then {lamHa'} was appropriate and if commenting on the resultant level
>of cleanliness then {Say'} was appropriate.
Here's what we have in canon:
{lam} dirt (n.)
{lam} be dirty (v.)
{lamHa'choHmoH} get something cleaned (v.)
- nuqDaq waqwIj vIlamHa'choHmoH
Where can I get my shoes cleaned? TKD
{Say'} be clean (v.)
{Say'moH} wash (v.)
- DaH jIbwIj vISay'nISmoH
I must wash my hair now. PK
- yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI' Say'moHchu' may' 'Iw
The blood of battle washes clean the warrior brave and true. (Anthem)
{Say'qu'moH} sterilize (v.)
FWIW note that Okrand glossed {Say'moH} as "wash" and not "clean" which, together with the two example sentences, implies (to me at least) the use of water or some other liquid (e.g. blood). {lamHa'choHmoH} would thus mean to "de-dirt(y)" -- e.g. scraping the mud off your shoes, wiping the blood from your blade, cleaning your gun, etc.
Perhaps {Say'moH} refers to a particular method of cleaning (e.g. with liquid) or implies a greater level of cleanliness. Note that {Say'qu'moH} "sterilize" is an even greater level of clean.
>To that end regarding hygienist and toothbrush discussed earlier, maybe
>{Say'choHmoHwI'} would describe a Hygienist and lamHa'choHmoHwI' a
>toothbrush (or similar impliment).
Considering that a dental hygienist scrapes the plaque off your teeth, {lamHa'choHmoH} seems appropriate.
--
Voragh
Canon Master of the Klingons