[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: 'Ip

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word:	 'Ip
Part of speech: 	noun
Definition: 	oath
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'Iw 'Ip ghomey 
Blood Oath Circles (name of a sculpture in KCD)

tugh 'Ipvetlh Dapab DaneH'a'? 
How would you like to keep that promise, very soon? (PB)

CULTUREAL NOTES:
The Oath is the "Klingon ritual of marriage, solemnizing the bond between husband and wife in the Klingon culture. Worf and K'Ehleyr almost 'took the oath' after they spent a night together on the Enterprise-D holodeck in 2365, but neither felt ready for such a commitment at that time, even though they had just conceived a child together."  [{tlhIngan jIH} "I am a Klingon" is] "[the first] part of the oath spoken between husband and wife in solemnizing their marriage". (STE [1994] p. 344; TNG "The Emissary")

TREK TRIVIA:
  "A star captain's most solemn oath is that he will give his life, even his entire crew, rather than violate the Prime Directive." (Kirk, TOS "The Omega Glory")

To "take the vow", Klingonist expression meaning to only speak Klingon, e.g. at a qep'a' (KLI; cf. _In the land of invented languages : Esperanto rock stars, Klingon poets, Loglan lovers, and the mad dreamers who tried to build a perfect language_ by Arika Okrent (New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2009)  

SEE:
'Ip  		vow,  swear (v) 
  - jI'Ip   I vow. KLS

’Ipnal  		spouse (n., gender-neutral term) 
’Iptay  		*epetai* (n., *klingonaase* honorific title)

SEE ALSO:
vIt 		tell the truth (v)
lay' 		promise (v)
lay'Ha' 		break one's word (v)

Cf. also the idioms {lay' 'ej batlh pab} "keep one's word of honor" and {'Ip pab} "keep a promise" used in the paq'batlh.

--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary from the last year or two. I’ve fallen 
    behind in updating my files and adding cross-references for related words.