[Tlhingan-hol] Tlhingan-hol Digest, Topics: tlhIng yoS

[Steven Boozer]

BruceLiu:
>> I look up in one dictionary, it shows that:
>>   jonta'QuQ   n. engine
>> I prefer to use jonta'QuQ, since it seems to be more complex.

De'vID:
> qabbej meqvam. motlh Qatlhbe' tlhIngan Hol mu'mey.

That dictionary made a mistake.  As De'vId implies, there is no such word in Klingon.

>> but another dictionary shows that:
>>   jonta'   n. engine
>>   QuQ      n. engine

We don't know what the difference is between these.  Both appeared in Star Trek III in virtually identical contexts.  (IIRC one was a back-fit for a line originally delivered in English; note the two different words for "gunner" as well.)  Here's what I have in my notes:

TKD 78:  Sometimes one member of a set may be partially analyzed. For example, {jonta'} "engine" begins with {jon}, which is also found in {jonwI'} "engineer", and ends with {ta'}, which also occurs in {mIqta'} "machinery". The other members of these synonym sets, {QuQ} "engine" and {jo'} "machinery", cannot be further analyzed.)

As used in canon:

  baHwI', DoS yIbuS. QuQ neH. yaj'a'?
  Gunner: Target engine only. Understood? ST3

  matHa', DoS jonta' neH.
  Gunner: target engine only. ST3

  jonta' neH 
  only the engine TKD

  tujqu'choH QuQ 
  The engine is overheating. TKD & CK

We also have other words which seem to overlap somewhat in meaning:

jan		device (n)
 - qa'vam jan SeH DIvI'. [The Federation controls the Genesis Device.]
  (ST3 DVD case)
 - qa'vam jan yISuq. [Acquire the Genesis Device!] (ST3 DVD case)
 - Qapqu' wovmoHbogh janHommey  It even has working lights! (Hallmark)
 - janmey ngo' lulo'lu'DI' pIj jabbI'ID nISpu' woj Older models
   were susceptible to radiation. S19
 - chaHvaD nIb yan wIjwI' jan je They don't know how to distinguish
   a sword from a plough! PB 
 - baHjan launcher
 - begh botjan deflector shield(s) [only the mechanism?] KBoP
 - peng baHjan (photon) torpedo launcher KBoP
 - botjan shield(s) KBoP
 - QoQ jan musical instrument
 - Saqjan landing gear KBoP
 - wIjwI' jan plough
 - wovmoHbogh jan light

jo'		machinery, mechanism (n)
 - jopwI' jo' 	 recoil machinery KBoP
 - tal jo'  	 cannon machinery KBoP
 - tel SeHwI' jo' wing control mechanism KBoP

mIqta' 	machinery (n)
 Never used AFAIK.

nguSDI' 	motor (n)
 - tal SeHwI' nguSDI' 	cannon control motor KBoP


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons