[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: QaS

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>> Klingon word: QaS
>> Part of speech: noun
>> Definition: troops
>> Source: TKD

Voragh:
> N.B. plural only; the singular is {mang}.

I believe the singular of {QaS} is {QaS}. The plural of {mang} is {negh}.

> KGT 50:  {mang} is used when the warrior under discussion is described in terms of his membership in a fighting unit (for example, as a crew member on an attack cruiser)... A similar word, {QaS}, normally translated "troops", is used in almost the same way as {negh}, but it excludes officers.

The singular of {negh} is {mang}, and so the singular of {QaS} is not
{mang}. (Or, Klingon is ambiguous here, which is also possible, but I
don't believe it is.)

> KGT 51f.  when dealing with a troop member ({QaS}) or officer ({yaS}) of a ship, to avoid giving offense, one should either find out ahead of time how that ship fits into the hierarchical structure or else carefully avoid making references to other units as superior or inferior.

This is the sentence that makes me think {QaS} can mean singular "troop member".

> tlhIngan QaS
> Klingon Force MKE

> wa' tlhIngan QaS vey
> one pack of Klingon Forces. MKE

{QaS} is sometimes translated as "Force" and sometimes as "Forces" in
MKE, again suggesting it is its own plural. OTOH since Klingon doesn't
always explicitly indicate plural where the analogous English does so,
maybe this doesn't mean anything.

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