[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: qul mI'wI'

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon Word of the Day for Friday, March 01, 2019

Klingon word: qul mI'wI'
Part of speech: noun
Definition: fire dancer
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(KGT 207):  Sometimes seemingly ordinary concepts cannot be expressed easily. For example, the Klingon verb {mI'} may be translated "dance", but it also means "exercise, do calisthenics, do martial arts movements". The central idea of {mI'} is that a physical activity is performed that results in no change, other than, perhaps, in the well-being of the person performing the action. Thus, it is wrong to use {mI'} for "run to a place", though it is quite appropriate to use it for "run in place".  No term in Federation Standard means quite the same thing as Klingon {mI'}. By the same token, no word in Klingon means quite the same thing as Federation Standard "dance". At many Klingon festivals, a popular group of performers is called the {qul mI'wI'pu'}, usually translated as "fire dancers". Since what the performer is doing is properly designated by the verb {mI'} but not really accurately described by the translation "dance", the visitor--particularly one who learned the Klingon word only by its usual Federation Standard translation--is in for quite a surprise when the show begins.

SEE:
mI'wI' much  	dance show (n) (qepHom 2017)

SEE ALO:
qet 		run (v)
yIt 		walk (v)
gho' 		step on (v)
qeq 		practice, train, prepare (v)
vIH 		move, be in motion (v)
ghIS 		wriggle, squirm (v)
nogh 		writhe (v)

... and all the gymnastics and martial arts terminology De'vID shared with us this morning.

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons