[Tlhingan-hol] QangHom

[Steven Boozer]

Voragh:
>> I tend to use {qup} "elder" for this (especially for "senator"); cp.
>> {quprIp} "Council of Elders".  I don't know if {qup} refers to an
>> honored, traditional leader or just someone elderly.
 
Philip:
>> Given that it's the "opposite" of {puq} "child", I had always
>> assumed that it referred to anyone older.

Remember that we also have *{qanwI'} "old person", the nomen agentis of {qan} "be old (not young)".  See Okrand on the homonym {qan} "use the little finger":

HQ 10.2:9:  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 [qanwI'}], 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
  ("I point at K'mpec with my little finger") (HQ 10.2)

  qan qI'empeq 
  K'mpec is old. (HQ 10.2:9)

De'vID:
> But surely, a {quprIp} is a council not just of elderly people, but
> of elderly people who are distinguished in some way.


QeS:
> To complicate things, I wonder if older people in Klingon culture
> might be venerated or considered distinguished simply *because*
> they're older. There might be no functional difference between
> "elderly person" and "traditional leader".
>    [....]
> As for Klingons, given that they're expected to kill a superior if
> they show signs of incompetence, maybe a Klingon who even makes it
> to old age is automatically venerated as a particularly able person,
> since he or she must have been very competent or skilled to avoid
> being offed at some point by a greedy subordinate.


Some references to throw into the mix...

KGT 133:  Klingons revere their ancestors, respect their elders, and have unparalleled veneration for heritage. [...] Younger Klingons, while accepting their heritage and observing the ancient rites, see some aspects of their elders' behavior and beliefs as, if not obsolete, then just old-fashioned.

KGT 90:  As he describes the thrill of his first hunt, Toq (Sterling Macer) reminds his elders of what it is to be Klingon.

  SuvwI'pu' qan tu'lu'be' 
  There are no old warriors. TKW

  qan; QI'tu' rur 
  He/she is as old as Qui'Tu. KGT 

  qanchoHpa' qoH, Hegh qoH 
  Fools die young. TKW


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons