[tlhIngan Hol] nuH / DuH

[Daniel Dadap]

> On May 27, 2020, at 10:23, Lieven L. Litaer <levinius at gmx.de> wrote:
> 
> Even thought {nuH} is defined as "possibility" in the list, there still
> is the /regular/ word {DuH}, of which I think it should be preferred in
> usage wherever possible.
> 

I suspect that this particular metaphor, beyond being another example of Klingon fondness for bellicose metaphor in general, is also influenced in part by the near homophony of {nuH} and {NuH} in Qotmagh and other dialects which nasalize voiced stops. Consider also {chab chu'}.

While it may seem odd for a non-Klingon speaker to encounter such a metaphor, it’s no stranger than a non-English speaker hearing an expression like “hit the road”. I think learners at all levels should try to familiarize themselves with common Klingon idioms and metaphors. For example, while it’s technically correct to say {cham chu'}, to me it seems much more idiomatically appropriate to say {chab chu'} in all but the most formal contexts.

> And any external word list should label the metaphorical usage of {nuH},
> in my opinion.

I completely agree.