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

[Felix Malmenbeck]

Two uses in paq'batlh:

jIDoghqu’
vIghIjlu’mo’ ‘ej bortaS vIneHmo’
jIleghlaHbe’ ‘ach chovuvtaH

What a fool I have been,
Blinded by fear and spite,
And still you find me worthy.

(paq'batlh, paq'raD, Canto 2, Stanza 5; spoken by moratlh to qeylIS)


jIlay’DI’ reH batlh jIpabchugh
Qapla’meywIj Hoch vIta’ta’ ‘e’ DaHar’a’
quv vuv nuv pagh ghajbogh neH

Did you think that my word of honor
Would have carried me this far?
Honor is for those with nothing to lose!

(paq'batlh, paq'raD, Canto 19, Stanza 5; spoken by molor to qeylIS)

Very odd grammar in that last one; probably artistic license to get the rhyming {quv vuv nuv} (though one might also wonder if -chugh was intended rather than bogh; "a person respects honor, only if he/she has nothing").

________________________________________
From: Steven Boozer [sboozer at uchicago.edu]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 16:39
To: tlhingan-hol at kli.org
Subject: Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: vuv

> Klingon word:   vuv
> Part of speech: verb
> Definition:     respect

chovuv
You respect me. KLS

vuv be' 'e' baj
earn that a woman respect him  KGT

qoH vuvbe' SuS
The wind does not respect a fool. TKW

ghaH vuv SuS neH
he/she wants the wind to respect him/her KGT

muvuvpu' SuS vIneH
I wanted the wind to respect me. KGT

Duvuv SuS DaneH'a'?
Do you want the wind to respect you? KGT

nughraj Dun lurDechmeyraj Dun je DIvuvta' 'e' lutul HaDwI'pu' 'ej vItul jIH.
The editors and I hope to have respected your rich culture and tradition (Vincent Van Gerven Oei's speech at qepHom wa'maHDIch)


KGT 122:  The idiomatic expression {ghaH vuv SuS neH} ("he/she wants the wind to respect him/her") comes from the same story; it is used to mean "He/she is foolish" or "He/she is a fool". For example, one might answer the question {qatlh betleHDaj tlhapbe'?} ("Why doesn't he take his bat'leth?") by saying {ghaH vuv SuS neH} ("He wants the wind to respect him"--that is, He's a fool). The expression can be modified to apply to different persons or situations: {muvuvpu' SuS vIneH} ("I wanted the wind to respect me"--in other words, I acted like a fool); {bImaw''a'? Duvuv SuS DaneH'a'?} ("Are you crazy? Do you want the wind to respect you?"--that is, What's with you? Are you an idiot?).

Cultural notes:

KGT 69:  Though any perceived attack on one's honor may prompt one to issue a challenge, in one traditional form of duel, the goal is specifically for a man to "win the favor of a women" ({vuv be' 'e' baj} [literally, "earn that a woman respect him"]) by competing with another man.

KGT 133:  Klingons revere their ancestors, respect their elders, and have unparalleled veneration for heritage.

Trek trivia:

"Respect is earned, not bestowed." (Troi, TNG "The Icarus Factor")

Related words:

Ho'                     admire (v)
naD                     commend, praise (v)
quvmoH          honor (v)

maw                     offend (v)
quvHa'moH       dishonor (v)
tIch            insult (v)
tuHmoH          shame (someone) (v)


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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