tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Nov 18 06:18:35 2011
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Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Eurotalk - New Words - Countries
Voragh:
>> Okrand may have used Cantonese before:
>>
>> WRT {yan} "sword": In Cantonese, *yahn* means "edge
>> of a sword" (lay'tel SIvten)
De'vId:
> hadn't heard that this was supposed to be a pun. I wouldn't have
> thought of it if someone hadn't told me (i.e., unlike "dragon",
> which is immediately obvious if you say the Klingon word to a
> Cantonese speaker). Yes, it sounds like a word in Cantonese, but
> it's not a common enough word that I'd expect someone to know it
> if they didn't speak the language (the exception is if they
> learned Cantonese through association with martial arts, and know
> the names of weapons and weapon parts).
Well, as Susvaj reported in that at qep'a' 2006 this was a back-fit:
[Okrand] canonized the word {yan} from Yan-Isleth "Brotherhood
of the Sword [7/2006]
The Yan-Isleth is an elite Klingon division charged with protecting the chancellor, whom they guard at all times; i.e. it's his personal security force. (DS9 "Apocalypse Rising")
Could one of the DS9 writers have known some Cantonese? Or perhaps Paramount's fight coordinator - i.e. the guy who choreographs fight scenes and teaches actors to handle weapons, especially swords and bat'leths, believably - who may have a martial arts background?
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
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