[Tlhingan-hol] nuq bop bom: 'ay' wa'vatlh SochmaH Soch: SanIDlogh nuHoHlaH

[lojmIt tI'wI'nuv]

But language also has cultural factors. English still sees a corpse as a person. Klingon sees a corpse as an ugly, messy thing. It doesn't matter if, before death, the person was highly valued and respected. The corpse is garbage.

Note that nobody cares about the gravesite of Kahless. There are no Klingon embalmers. One howl pretty much covers funeral services.

So, a Klingon corpse doesn't sit or lie. It has a location and perhaps a posture, if you'd call it that. It's dead. It's a thing; a thing associated with rot and released bodily fluids and solids. It won't watch your back in battle. It won't love you or hate you. It's useless, unless you are really, really hungry and have no better choices. Top of the food chain collects a lot of toxins. Not exactly health food.

Of course, in a pinch, properly prepared, many parts could be used as a weapon. But that can be said for just about anything, so the value here is limited.

pItlh
lojmIt tI'wI'nuv



On May 9, 2012, at 11:43 PM, Robyn Stewart wrote:

> This is influence from Russian, which also lacks the verb "to be" in the present tense and uses the verbs sit/stand/hang/lie where English would just use to be. I thought I'd try it, but as it strikes you both as wrong, I guess it doesn't work. I'm surprised. One can make a corpse sit or lie in English, too. 
> 
> -Qov
> 
> Sent from a mobile device through a temporary connection. 
> 
> On 2012-05-09, at 13:52, Steven Boozer <sboozer at uchicago.edu> wrote:
> 
>> Qov:
>>>> chegh Hota'ro' ghutar je. yIQchu'. yIttaHvIS naQvo' HuS gheDchaj.
>>>> chemvaH rur. ror 'ej pIv veD. "majQa'!" jatlh vajar. ghIq jatlh,
>>>> "maja'chuqnIS." beb HeH bIngDaq gheD luQotmoH.
>> 
>> ghunchu'wI':
>>> Unless the animal is still alive and they're letting it get some rest,
>>> I believe this stretches the meaning of {Qot} past reasonable limits.
>>> The "recline" meaning gives me the impression that it shouldn't apply
>>> to something inanimate. 
>> 
>> Agreed.  FYI {Qot} "lie, recline" in canon:
>> 
>> DungDaq legh 'ej QotnIStaH romuluSngan be'pu' 
>> Romulan women belong on their backs! (ST5 notes)
>> 
>> QongDaqDaq Qotbe' tlhInganpu' 
>> Klingons do not lie in bed. (TKW)
>> 
>> QotDI' gheD tlhejbe' wamwI' 
>> The hunter does not lie down with the prey. (TKW)
>> 
>>> I consider the verb to be almost the opposite of {Hu'}.
>> 
>> or the opposite of {Qam} "stand":
>> 
>> QamvIS Hegh qaq law' torvIS yIn qaq puS 
>> Better to die on our feet than live on our knees. (ST6 & TKW)
>> 
>> yIyong 'ej pa' yIQam 
>> Get in and stand there. (CK)
>> 
>> Qam 
>> Stand! (PK)
>> 
>> poSDaq nIHDaq je QamtaHvIS SuvwI'pu', chaH jojDaq yItnIS lopwI' 
>> The initiate must pass through a gauntlet of warriors.  (S9)
>> 
>> {Hu'} "get up" in canon is unhelpful:
>> 
>> yIHu'
>> [Get up! (untranslated)] (ST3 & ST6)
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Voragh
>> Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
>> 
>> 
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> 
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