[tlhIngan Hol] The crucible

[Steven Boozer]

qunnoq:
> Now, if you ask me, "how is your own {wa'vam jaj wIjIn} any different from
> the above", then I honestly can't provide a explanation. Perhaps it is a
> carry-over from what I would say in Greek : "we wish for this one day".
> And perhaps, I used it because there is a Greek word which means "unique",
> which can also be used to describe the "singular state" of an item.
> 
> And now that I'm thinking of it, perhaps here is what happened :
> Thinking in Greek I wanted to write "this one day" ; because in Klingon
> there is no word for "unique", I used the Klingon word {wa'} which would
> express the other meaning of the Greek "unique". 

Usually the simplest solution is the best.  {jajvam} is already unique by definition:  i.e. this day vs. every other day (past, present, future).  

But if you really want to distinguish {jajvam} further, I think the closest idea in Klingon for "be unique" is {le'} "be special, be exceptional" :

  tlhIngan jabbI'ID le' 
  Special Klingon issue (ST:Comm)

  puqloDwI' le'qu', Hoch jaj choquvmoH 
  My dearest son, each day you redeem me. (Frasier)

  boSwI'vaD veyvam le' chenmoHlu' 
  Collector's Edition. MKE

  Duj ghajchugh vay', cha'logh boq'egh qav'ap motlh; chen
    qav'ap le'. ghajwI'vaD qav'ap le' yIDIl. 
  If [ship is] owned, pay owner twice the rental to which
    they are otherwise entitled. MKE

vs. {le'be'} "be unexceptional, be nonspecific, be general" :

  nav HablI' le'be' 
  general FAX (machine) 

Mark Mandel describes the origin of this in HQ 5.2:

  Since my office is in a different building from the company
  reception desk I prefer to give people the number of the FAX
  machine closest to my desk. I put both numbers on the letter-
  head, labeling them in English Klingon FAX and general FAX. 
  Dr. Okrand suggested {le'be'} for general, and so of course
  that's what I used.

There's also the similar pair {motlh} "be usual, be normal, be standard" :

  nay' motlh
  usual dish (a dish with a standard preparation technique) KGT

  nISwI' HIch motlh HoS Hal qengwI' naQ tIq je lurarlu'bogh
    'oH tlhIngan nISwI' beH'e' 
  The Klingon disruptor rifle is a standard hand held
    disruptor, attached to an extended power supply stock. S14

  qughDo motlh: pIvlob vagh 
  Normal Cruising Speed - Warp 5. KBoP

  Duj ghajchugh vay', cha'logh boq'egh qav'ap motlh; chen
    qav'ap le'. ghajwI'vaD qav'ap le' yIDIl. 
  If [ship is] owned, pay owner twice the rental to which
    they are otherwise entitled. MKE

vs. {motlhbe'} "be unusual" :

  tera'ngan motlhbe' SoH 
  You are an unusual Terran. PK




--
Voragh
tlhIngan ghantoH pIn'a'
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons