[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: bortaS

[Steven Boozer]

> Klingon Word of the Day for Thursday, December 15, 2011
> 
> Klingon word: bortaS
> Part of speech: noun
> Definition: revenge

Also glossed "vengeance".  

I use {bortaS} for "retaliation, retribution, retribution, vendetta", etc. 

As used in canon:

  bortaS bIr jablu'DI' reH QaQqu' nay' 
  "Revenge is a dish best served cold." TKD 

[Originally a quote by one of the Borgias?  Used by Mario Puzo in _The Godfather_ and by Joseph Goebbels in his book _Vom Kaiserhof zur Reichskanslei_.]

  bortaS nIvqu' 'oH bortaS'e' 
  Revenge is the best revenge. TKW

  bIr; bortaS rur 
  cold as revenge KGT

Related verbs:
{noD}   retaliate, seek revenge

Related nouns:
{ruv}   justice
{pung}  mercy (antonym)

See also {bortaS DIb} "Right of Vengeance" (a Klingon legal right, cf. TKW 121):

Although under discommendation, Worf invoked the Right of Vengeance after Duras had murdered his mate, K'ehleyr, killing him in a duel on Duras' ship the IKC Vorn in 2367. The Klingons declared the matter closed, but Picard did not: he put a letter of reprimand in Worf's service record for acting without official authorization. "He has claimed the Right of Vengeance." (the Vorn's first officer?, TNG "Reunion") 

"A Klingon who denies himself the Right of Vengeance is no Klingon at all." (Kor to Worf, DS9 "The Sword of Kahless")

More Trek trivia:

"Let bloody vengeance take its final course."
 (Anton Karidian/Kodos quoting Shakespeare, TOS "The Conscience of the King")

Kirk:  "I'm interested in justice!" 
McCoy: "Are you? Are you sure it's not vengeance?"
 (TOS "The Conscience of the King")

The Bortas, under the command of a Captain Duras, was crippled by the Enterprise in 2152; Archer was captured and put on trial on the Narendra III outpost for attacking the ship, conspiring against the Klingon Empire and fomenting revolt. (ENT "Judgment")

The IKC Bortas, a Vor'cha-class attack cruiser, conveyed Captain Picard's request for Klingon assistance at Nelvana III when the Enterprise-D investigated reports of a secret Romulan base. The three Klingon Birds-of-Prey that responded to Picard's request made it possible for the Enterprise-D to escape without provoking an interstellar war despite the hopes of the Romulans. (TNG "The Defector")  The Bortas later served as Gowron's flagship during the Klingon civil war of 2367-68; Worf served as weapons officer aboard the Bortas during the early part of that conflict. (TNG "Redemption I")


Some Terran Trivia:

"I took my revenge early. I waited only 100 years." (Waziristani saying)


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons