[tlhIngan Hol] Maltz about light

[Lieven L. Litaer]

Anyone who has watched Discovery might have noticed that Lorca is 
sensitive to light. In another scene, Burnham said that the light is 
different where she is. These are two different things:

Marc Okrand wrote:
---begin quote------------------------------
For this, {'otlh} "photon" would work, but even though it's 
scientifically correct (I think), it would be confusing in a Star Trek 
context because of photon torpedoes and such (and because there can be 
photons besides those in the visible light part of the electromagnetic 
spectrum).  You're right — Klingons would have a word (at least a 
scientific, technical term) for the phenomenon of light (aside from 
{'otlh}).

{wovtaHghach} is one such word. Another is {tamghay} "light, 
luminescence, illumination" ("illumination" here does not mean 
"clarification, explanation, explication" or the like).
---end quote------------------------------

Okrand later added:
---begin quote------------------------------
You're right. They are different (and, like you, I'd use {tamghay} for 
the examples you sent), but one's eyes could be sensitive to 
{wovtaHghach}.  For "the light is different," however, {wovtaHghach} 
isn't so good (unless they're talking about the intensity of the 
brightness or something like that as opposed to, say, the color).
---end quote------------------------------

So when saying that Lorca is sensitive to "light", it's actually the 
{wovtaHghach} bothering him. Otherwise, he would have to live in 
absolute darkness, where there is no {tamghay}.

-- 
Lieven L. Litaer
aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany"
http://www.klingonisch.de
http://www.klingonwiki.net/En/DSC111