[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: HI'tuy

[jaSwa']

I was under the impression that HI''a' was a canon word that wasn't clearly defined in its sole usage. In that case, interpreting using cultural and context clues would be in order to understand how it works, right? Similar to words from Monopoly like ngay' or aplo'.

jaSwa'

Hochlogh bechjaj Hoch jaghpu'wI'

David Trimboli <david at trimboli.name> wrote:

>On 12/13/2012 3:20 AM, Lieven wrote:
>>
>> We shouldn't forget that many of those words with {-'a'} and {-Hom}
>> cannot always be translated literally from klingon to english. A
>> {be'Hom} is not an "inferior woman", or a {bIQ'a'} is more than just a
>> big piece of water - and shouldn't ocean be ngeng'a'?
>
>Nouns with type 1 suffixes are things distinct from the counterparts 
>without the suffix; they are not just bigger/smaller or more/less 
>important versions of the same thing. If there exists a standard 
>construction, there is no room for interpretation. If the speaker 
>constructs his own word, he must explain himself.
>
>For example, if I said {De'wI''a'}, it doesn't just mean "big computer" 
>or "impressive computer." Since there is no standard interpretation, I 
>must make sure my audience understands that I am referring to the 
>supercomputer in my data center.
>
>If a coinage is used often enough, it will gain a standard meaning. TKD 
>gives us {qep} "meeting," but years of use by the KLI has solidified the 
>word {qep'a'} as meaning "convention." (We usually translate it as 
>"conference," but a conference can also be a meeting between two people, 
>which is not what a {qep'a'} is.)
>
>Every speaking community will have its own coinages, and we mustn't 
>expect that what one community thinks of with an {-'a'} or {-Hom} will 
>match what another community thinks.
>
>-- 
>SuStel
>http://www.trimboli.name/
>
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