[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: ghob

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: ghob
Part of speech: verb
Definition: fight, battle, do battle, wage war
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'ang'eghQo' quv Hutlhbogh jagh neH ghobtaHvIS ghaH 
Only an enemy without honor refuses to show himself in battle. TKW

noH ghoblu'DI' yay quv law' Hoch quv puS 
In war there is nothing more honorable than victory. TKW

ghob tlhIngan SuvwI'pu' 
Klingon warriors wage war. KGT

wa'leS maghob. ghIq malop. 
Tomorrow we will do battle. Then (after that) we'll celebrate. (HQ 8.3)

(KGT 47):  Similarly, there are several verbs for fight, battle, and the like.  Most broadly, do battle or wage war--that is, actually engage in a conflict in which a number of combatants are involved--is {ghob}.  The notion of make war in the general sense, referring to the idea of war and not a specific war, is {Qoj}.  The verb for fight, whether in a war or a one-on-one confrontation, is {Suv}.  In short, the nouns {veS} (war, warfare) and {vIq} (combat) and the verb {Qoj} (wage war) all are used to refer to the ideas of warfare, combat, and making war, while the nouns {noH} (war) and {may'} (battle) and the verbs {ghob} (make war, do battle) and {Suv} (fight) are used when referring to specific, concrete instances of war, battle, and fighting.  Thus it is possible to say {noH ghob} or {noH Suv}, both meaning "He/she fights a war", or {may' ghob} or {may' Suv}, meaning "He/she fights a battle", but it is not normally acceptable to say {veS ghob} ("He/she fights a warfare") or {vIq Suv} ("He/she fights a combat").

ghobchuq loDnI'pu' 
"The Brothers Battle One Another" KCD (i.e. the famous statue of the brothers Kahless and Morath which Torghn has in his house)

(KCD):  Kahless is the Klingon who brought discipline, order, and honor to the Klingons. He is held in the highest regard. The statue represents the great battle fought between Kahless and Morath. Although there are many versions of this theme, this particular rendering is commonly found in cultured Klingons' homes.

(KGT 79):  Some particularly famous statues are reproduced in miniature and are found in Klingons' homes. The most frequently seen of these, commonly referred to as {ghobchuq loDnI'pu'} ("the brothers fight one another"), is a depiction of Kahless in hand-to-hand combat with his brother Morath.

  Worf displayed a small reproduction on the coffee table in his Enterprise-D quarters. (TNG "Genesis", "Cost of Living", et al.)

SEE ALSO:
vID 		be belligerant (v)
naS 		be vicious (v)
qej 		be grouchy, mean (v)
qu' 		be fierce (v)
ral 		be violent (v)
vaQ 		be aggressive (v)
Sol 		quarrel (v)

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons