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

[Felix Malmenbeck]

> And on Earth, apparently on the ground: cf. {tera' yav 'atlhqam} "mushrooms" (TNK).

It'd be interesting to know what exactly this is referring to.

The English and French versions say "mushrooms" and "des champignons", respectively, which are generic words referring to all manner of mushrooms. However, they are quite frequently used to refer specifically to Agaricus bisporus (known as "button mushrooms" or "champignons de Paris"), which is also what the picture appears to show. Same goes for "unos champiñones", which is used in the Spanish version.
Other language versions use words that lack the generic meaning (Swedish, Danish...), or which lack the specific meaning (Norwegian...), or which have the same generic meaning but a different specific meaning (the Italian "i funghi" apparently refers either to mushrooms/fungi in general, or specifically to toadstools).

My personal guess is that what's meant is any Terran food mushroom that grows on the ground, and 'atlhqam is used because that's the most common food mushrooms among Klingons.
In many places of the world, that will usually mean button mushrooms, but it could probably refer to chanterelles, porcinos, truffles and morels, as well. However, they might not use it to refer to inedible ground mushrooms (though Klingons and humans would perhaps argue on which mushrooms are edible and which are not; perhaps the sound of "European destroying angel" is too tempting for a Klingon to pass up).

________________________________________
From: Steven Boozer [sboozer at uchicago.edu]
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2012 16:16
To: tlhingan-hol at kli.org
Subject: Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: 'atlhqam

> Klingon word:   'atlhqam
> Part of speech: noun
> Definition:     type of fungus

Never used in a sentence.

KGT 92:  One way to bring fermentation about is to mix the food with a fungus (known as {'atlhqam}) usually scraped off the bottom of certain animals' feet, though it also grows on trees.

And on Earth, apparently on the ground: cf. {tera' yav 'atlhqam} "mushrooms" (TNK).

PUN:
"athlete's foot"!

Related words (sort of):

butlh   dirt under fingernails
quHvaj  dandruff
HuH             bile, gall, slime


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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