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

[Steven Boozer]

> Klingon Word of the Day for Friday, July 18, 2014
> 
> Klingon word: noH
> Part of speech: verb
> Definition: judge, estimate

  chorghSaD qelI'qam HIvchuq'e' vInoH 
  Estimating attack range in 8,000 kellicams. ST5

"A Klingon may be inaccurate, but he is never approximate." (CK)

N.B. Don't confuse with the noun {noH} "war".

Okrand on "judge" and 'judgment" in KGT:

KGT 72:  If the music is judged positively--that is, if the listener likes it--the music is said to be {'ey}, using the word normally translated as "delicious" when talking about food.

KGT 50f.:  As is well known, it is considered the duty of officers on Klingon ships to assassinate their immediate superior if the higher-ranking officer has been judged unfit to serve, perhaps as a consequence of neglecting his or her duty, demonstrating cowardice, or behaving dishonorably.

KGT 165:  a society that is judged to be falling apart may have {tlhamHom} (little gravity) or {tlham puj} (weak gravity).

KGT 138:  the characteristic patterns of younger people's speech, if noticed and commented upon, are more likely to be judged sloppy or careless rather than wrong.

KGT 140:  Younger Klingons also tend to use the imperative prefix {yI-} in circumstances judged inappropriate by older Klingons.

KGT 188:  one would risk being judged too lazy to learn Klingon properly

In view of {loHwI'} "	magistrate", it's possible that judge in the legal sense is {loH] "administer" -- ?{ruv loH} "administer justice".   Archer's trial for conspiring against the Klingon Empire and fomenting revolt was presided over by a magistrate (ENT "Judgment").  Also,

  loHwI' vISuch 'e' vIpoQ!
  I demand to see the magistrate! (ENT "Affliction")

{'oD} "arbitrate, mediate" is another possibility.  In TNG "Devil's Due' a dispute with a Klingon craftsman over the construction of a Ventaxian home was settled by an outside arbitrator because the case involved an alien culture.  Also,

  yejquv DevwI' moj ghawran 'e' wuqta' cho' 'oDwI' Dapu'bogh
   janluq pIqarD HoD. 
  Gowron... named leader of the High Council by Captain Jean-Luc
   Picard, who was acting as Arbiter of Succession. S25

There could well be utterly different terminologies for civil, criminal, military and (in the past) religious courts.  Maybe the Klingons have separate courts for offences against honor as well.


Similar words:

loy 		guess (v)
wuq 		decide (v)

ghIpDIj 	court martial (v)
loH  		administer (v)
'oD 		arbitrate, mediate (v)
qIch 		condemn (v)

loHwI' 	magistrate (n)
bo'DIj 	court [of law] (n)
meqba' 	[type of legal proceeding] (n)
ruv 		justice (n)
teblaw' 	jurisdiction (n)
yoj 		judgment (n)

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons