[Tlhingan-hol] New word from MO: {jIr} (excl) "Big deal!"

[De'vID]

On 4 November 2015 at 11:31, zrajm <zrajm at klingonska.org> wrote:
> gesture in which you point at the ceiling, then move your hand in a
> rotating motion.

I wonder if the difference between {jIr} and {DIng} is the
relationship of the rotation to the axis of rotation.

With one's hand pointing up like so, there are two movements about the
imaginary axis formed by your elbow to your fingertip. {jIr} seems to
indicate rotation about the axis (compatible with the use of {jIrmoH}
to describe a {betleH} rotating about the wrist). I wonder if {DIng}
would then be rotation along the axis. (I wish I could draw a diagram
to show what I mean, but compare the {jIr} motion with the motion made
by holding the elbow and wrist locked spatially in place, but with the
entire forearm rotation along that axis.)

> My assumption was that this rotating hand motion has a similar meaning
> in America (?),

Correct. That's exactly what this gesture signifies in North American
body language:
http://en.wikademia.org/Archive:Types_of_gestures#Whoop-Dee-Doo

> and that the use of the word {jIr} was inspired by
> this.

More likely that it was inspired by the word "jeer".

-- 
De'vID