[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: SaQ
Steven Boozer
sboozer at uchicago.edu
Fri Dec 26 08:18:53 PST 2014
>> Klingon word: SaQ
>> Part of speech: verb
>> Definition: cry
Anthony Appleyard:
> The English word "cry" can be ambiguous. Does {SaQ} mean "boohoo" or
> "shout out loud"?
Okrand discussed this in HolQeD:
HQ 12.4 p9: For Klingons, even though there is a word for cry ({SaQ}), there is no word for tear or tears, undoubtedly because Klingons have no tear ducts. [mentioned in ST6] The only thing Maltz could think of that eyes do from time to time is redden ({DoqchoH}, literally "become red" or "change to red").
'IwlIj jachjaj
May your blood scream! CK
jach SuvwI' 'e' yIQoy!
Hear the warrior cry out! TKW
Heghtay lulop latlh tlhInganpu'. Heghtay luloptaHvIS chaH chaq bey SeQ lujach
other Klingons may perform a ceremonial howl or yell as part of the Klingon death ritual. S31
beyHom bey bey'a' jachtaH latlh tlhInganpu'
others [Klingons] roar in a great crescendo. S31
pan qeylIS betleH 'ej jach molor 'etlh
Kahless's batlh'etlh sparks and Molor's sword roars. ('U'-OPERA)
jachwI'na'
"true screamer", Master of the Scream PB
(i.e. the traditional narrator role in Klingon opera (PB xvii))
ghIq jach qa'rol
Then the {qa'rol} raises voice PB
And speaking of birds, cf. {cha'qu'} "a bird with a noisy, repetitive cry" (HQ 10.4).
Presumably {SaQ} is used to describe alien, not Klingon, behavior. For "shout out loud" use {jach} "scream, cry out, shout, yell".
Note that {jach} is one of the verbs of speech beginning with {ja-}: ja' "tell, report, say", {ja'chuq} "discuss", {jatlh} "say, speak, {jang} "answer, reply", {jaw} "chat", {jat} "speak incoherently, mumble (slang)" - as well as the noun {jat} "tongue".
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
More information about the Tlhingan-hol
mailing list