[90843] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Inherently plural nouns and numbers
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven Boozer)
Wed Nov 23 09:54:15 2011
From: Steven Boozer <sboozer@uchicago.edu>
To: "tlhingan-hol@kli.org" <tlhingan-hol@kli.org>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:54:02 -0600
In-Reply-To: <BLU0-SMTP38237F96841A5DF9429A5CD2C90@phx.gbl>
Errors-To: tlhingan-hol-bounces@stodi.digitalkingdom.org
TKW 27:=A0 The Klingon word for "instincts" is {Duj}, and it is =
grammatically correct to treat it as singular (a bundle or collection =
of instincts) or plural (individual instincts). =
guljIb:
> I wonder if there's some connection between the meaning of
> {DujlIj yIvoqtaH} "Always trust your instincts (each one
> separately)", and {DujlIj yItoqtaH}; "Always trust you're
> ship."=A0 Is this an intentional double entendre on MO's part?=A0
> Or is it simply a happenstance of homophony?
It's quite intentional. Marc Okrand on the idiom {vaj Duj chIj} "navigate =
a warrior ship" in "Klingon for the Galactic Traveller":
KGT 113-115: This is a way to say have strength of character. This sense c=
learly came about because of the existence in Klingon of two words pronounc=
ed {Duj}, one meaning "ship, vessel", the other meaning "instincts". If {Du=
j} is taken in its 'ship' sense, then {vaj Duj} means "warrior ship", somet=
hing that is certainly appropriate to navigate ({chIj}). On the other hand,=
if {Duj} is taken to mean "instincts", then {vaj Duj} means "warrior insti=
ncts" and the phrase {vaj Duj chIj" ("navigate warrior instincts") makes no=
sense unless interpreted idiomatically. To a Klingon, this would be to set=
and direct the course or use of these instincts--that is, to be in control=
of them. The phrase {vaj Duj} ("warrior vessel" or "warrior instincts"), e=
ven without the verb {chIj} (navigate), is taken to mean strength of charac=
ter, though it can also be used literally. It is noteworthy that in this id=
iom the word for warrior is not the frequently heard {SuvwI'}, which would =
denote an individual warrior, but rather is {vaj}, which refers to the whol=
e idea of being a warrior. Thus, when {Duj} is taken to mean instincts, {va=
j Duj} refers to the instincts associated with being a warrior or the insti=
ncts needed for combat; {SuvwI' Duj} would mean the instincts of a specific=
warrior. If {Duj} is taken to mean ship, {vaj Duj} ("warrior ship") would =
suggest that the ship itself has the characteristics of a warrior, a perfec=
tly reasonable notion. To express that a ship is that of a specific warrior=
, the word {SuvwI'} is appropriate: {SuvwI' Duj} ("warrior's ship"). The id=
iom, referring to strength of character, may be used in sentences such as {=
vaj Duj DachIj} ("You navigate a warrior ship"--that is, "You have strength=
of character") or {vaj Duj chIjbe'} ("He/she does not navigate a warrior s=
hip"--that is, "He/she lacks strength of character").
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
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