[87524] in tlhIngan-Hol
RE: {SIq} (was Re: Facebook in Klingon)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven Boozer)
Mon Dec 14 10:10:43 2009
From: Steven Boozer <sboozer@uchicago.edu>
To: "'tlhingan-hol@kli.org'" <tlhingan-hol@kli.org>
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:06:07 -0600
In-Reply-To: <3317FB73609B42F5AF6924D73471A066@juH.Seruqtuq.net>
Errors-to: tlhingan-hol-bounce@kli.org
Reply-to: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
Seruq (Alex Green?)
>> The Klingons would note, with amusement, the Terrans' use of
>> the verb "to act with middle digit" as a gesture of defiance.
>> And that is not poking, either.
There's a (probably disrespectful) Klingon gesture made with the little finger:
HQ 10.2 (p.9): In addition to {qan} "use the little finger, use the pinkie", there is another verb {qan} meaning "be old (not young)". No doubt because of this resemblance, when one points at someone using the little finger, or when one remarks on this pointing, the pointer is making a comment on the age of the person being pointed to.
qI'empeqDaq jIqan
(I think that) K'mpec is old. (HQ 10.2)
(lit. "I point at K'mpec with my little finger").
Although Okrand doesn't say this, I'm guessing the implication is that K'mpec is *too* old to fight or do his job properly.
Also regarding fingering or poking at one's cell phone, in addition to all the finger verbs, cf. also {'uy} "press down" (e.g. buttons?) and {Heng} "finger holes in a musical instrument" (can possibly used metaphorically WRT the speed and virtuoso skill some people have at texting and manipulating those tiny buttons!).
--
Voragh
Canon Master of the Klingons
