[tlhIngan Hol] At the qepHom ask about the vonlu'

[Steven Boozer]

(KGT 165-66):  The verb von, usually translated as trap, entrap, means "put (someone) in a position from which there is no escape." For a Klingon, to be in such a position, to be unable to fight back, is most dishonorable, especially since he or she is likely to be viewed in a helpless state. Thus, it is a sign of utter failure. […] The slang expression is used in such constructions as bIvonlu'pu' ("You have failed completely"; literally, "You have been trapped"). In standard Klingon, the same idea may be expressed by saying lujbej (certainly fail), lujchu' (fail perfectly), or lujqu' (really fail), all based on luj (fail). Note that luj is also used to mean lose (as in "lose at a game"). To say "I lose" is jIluj; to say "I lose in a big way" is jIlujqu' or jIlujchu'. The slang term vonlu' is not used in reference to games. It means "perform most inadequately, ineffectually, unsuccessfully" and is applied to one's performance as a warrior, tactician, political usurper, and the like.

--Voragh

From: mayqel qunenoS

Another thing which perhaps needs clarification is the vonlu'.

A little bird told me, that at the kgt it is written {bIvonlu'pu'} instead of {Davonlu'pu'}.

So, this raises the question, whether the {-lu'} shoved up the {von} of {vonlu'} is the indefinite subject suffix which we all know and love, or whether it is just a {lu'} which happened to cross the street while this word was being created.

So, could someone write {vonlu'lu'} for "someone has failed utterly " ?

And if it is indeed the indefinite subject suffix {-lu'}, then for "someone again failed utterly", do we write {vonqa'lu'} or {vonlu'qa'} ? Because if we write {vonqa'lu'} how would someone be able to differentiate from the {vonqa'lu'} which would mean "someone trapped him/them again" ?

I'm tired of having to "throw the cards" (greek expression meaning "trying to guess"), in order to clarify grammar which should have been already clarified at numerous qep'a'mey and qepHommey so far (as is the case with {ngIq}, the verb prefix after a {joq}, etc etc etc..).

~ nIghma'
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