[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: jon

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon Word of the Day for Friday, May 17, 2019

Klingon word: jon
Part of speech: verb
Definition: capture
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qama'pu' vIjonta' vIneH   
I wanted to capture prisoners.  TKD

vubpu' jonta' HeSwI' 
A criminal has succeeded in taking hostages. (ST5 notes)

jonlu'meH wo'maj pop tIn law' Hoch tIn puS 
Our Empire's highest bounty has been placed on his head. (ST5 notes)

Hoch 'ebmey tIjon 
Capture all opportunities. TKW

Dajonlu'pa' bIHeghjaj 
May you die before you are captured. TKW

vubpu' jon nuchpu'.  jonbe' tlhInganpu'.
Cowards take hostages. Klingons do not. TKW

jagh jonlu' 
One captures the enemy.
The enemy is captured. KGT

jagh jonlaH 
He/she can capture the enemy. KGT

jagh jonlaH vay' 
Somebody can capture the enemy.
Anybody can capture the enemy. KGT

jagh jonluH 
jagh jonla' 
The enemy can be captured (slang!) KGT

ngup'a' Duj Dajon 
Commandeer Dominion vessel. MKE

Dujon romuluS Duj 
Captured by Romulan ship. MKE

USAGE NOTES:
(TKW 51):  In Klingon, opportunities are captured [{jon}], not taken; a missed opportunity is said to have escaped [{nargh}].

(MO, st.klingon 1/1998):  I'd probably take an idiomatic approach incorporating the phrase {nargh 'eb} "the opportunity escapes" ... This goes along with other expressions such as {'eb jon} "he/she captures the opportunity" or, more colloquially "he/she seizes the opportunity".

TREK TRIVIA:
  "Klingons don't take prisoners." (Kirk to Saavik, in ST2)

  "The Romulans do not take captives." (Chekov, TOS "the Deadly Years")

CULTURAL NOTES:
(TKW 97):  taking a hostage is not a courageous act. Nevertheless, under certain circumstance, Klingons do take prisoners.

(TKW 190):  Klingons look down on prisoners as having behaved dishonorably. If they had acted honorably, they would never have been captured in the first place.

(TKW 93):  Klingons are not fond of the notion of prisoners. After Admiral Kirk killed Klingon commander Kruge and took over his bird-of-prey, Maltz, the sole surviving Klingon crew member of that ship, requested that he be killed rather than be taken prisoner. To Maltz’s chagrin, Kirk refused to do so. Worf is also aware of the attitude. “A Klingon would rather die than be taken prisoner,” he responded when the Yridian Jaglom Shrek suggested that Mogh, Worf’s father, might have been captured and be still living.

(TKW 208 ill.):  Captured by Starfleet officers, Kor cares not for his own fate.  (cf. TOS "Errand of Mercy")

SEE ALSO:
chargh 		conquer, vanquish (v)
tlhap 		take (v)
qop 		arrest (v)
quch 		kidnap (v)
wegh 		confine (v)

qama' 		prisoner, captive (n)
vub  		hostage (n)
voHDajbo' 	ransom (n)
bIghHa'  	prison,  jail (n)

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons