[Tlhingan-hol] {neH} vs. {mob} (was: nuq bop bom: 'ay' cha'vatlh cha'maH cha': 'omwI'pu')

[Steven Boozer]

ghunchu'wI':
>> I once ordered {bIQ neH} to drink at a restaurant. Marc
>> Okrand, sitting across the table from me, suggested that
>> I really meant {bIQ mob}. That would have been proper if
>> I were not having anything else. As I did intend to order
>> food as well, however, my usage was correct. I wanted
>> "mere water" as opposed to "water alone".

De'vID:
> Is the distinction here between "plain water (with nothing in the
> water, i.e., no ice or lemon slice or carbonation)" (= "I'll have a
> simple water") vs. "just water" (= "I'll have water and no other food
> or drink")?

ghunchu'wI' will have to comment, but I would say the latter.  Our only other use of {mob] 'be alone" is Okrand's back-translation of one of Worf's lines WRT to the Klingon Tea Ceremony IIRC:

  Heghlu'DI' mobbe'lu'chugh QaQqu' Hegh wanI' 
  Death is an experience best shared. TKW

If I've understood this corrrectly, you could sit at the lunch counter at your local {Do Qe'} and order {qa'vIn mob} "Just coffee (and nothing else)" if you're not particularly hungry.

The former, i.e. plain water with no additives or inclusions, would probably be {bIQ nIt} using {nIt} "be plain, be pure, be uncorrupted, be unsullied" which was only used in KGT:

KGT 73:  the traditional style, sometimes called {ghe'naQ nIt} (perhaps "grand opera", though literally something like "unsullied opera") is preferred by purists.

There's also the verb {watlh} "be pure" but it's never been used in canon AFAIK.


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons