[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: Doq 'ej wovbe'

[Michael Roney, Jr. PKT]

The source:

What we call "brown" would be
described in Klingon by using the
verb {Doq} <be red, orange>. If the
context is dear (such as contrasting
a brown thing with a thing that
cannot be described as {Doq}, such as
something that's {SuD} <blue, green,
yellow>), {Doq} alone is good enough.
Thus, if there are two drinking cups,
one brown and one blue, one might
say:

     {HIvje' Doq vIneH}
     I want the {Doq} cup

     Only the brown cup could be
described as {Doq}; the blue cup is
definitely not {Doq} since it is {SuD}.

     On the other hand, to be more
precise when talking about the color
(when, for example, there's a brown
cup and a red cup), Klingons would
typically use the phrase:

     {Doq 'ej wovbe'}
     be orange, red and not be bright

To get even more specific (to be able
to refer to different kinds of browns)
would involve comparisons. For
example:

     {Doq 'ej Qaj wuS rur}
     be orange, red and
     resemble kradge lips

     The lips of the kradge are
presumably a particular shade of
brown.
-=-=-

It's also used in Eurotalk.
Interestingly enough, they present red and orange both as {Doq}.

Which is correct, of course.

And green and yellow both as {SuD}.

Which is also correct.

But then go on to purposefully mispronounce them in order to give you
a sporting chance at the language games.
I'm really not happy with them mis-teaching my 5yo daughter...


QeS, I'd love to take your color survey.

~naHQun

-- 
~Michael Roney, Jr.
Professional Klingon Translator
webOS Developer

http://www.twitter.com/roneyii
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