[tlhIngan Hol] is {tlhInja} chess

[Felix Malmenbeck]

I think referring to chess as {tlhInja} would be a bit like referring to all video games as Super Mario, or to all trading card games as Pokémon cards; it may help to get you into the right ball park, but in a way that shows your unfamiliarity with the details.

In particular, it's worth noting that {tlhInja} - or "klin zha" as it is known in klingonaase - gets its name specifically because it is "the _Klingon_ game". In "The Final Reflection", the book where klin zha is first introduced, it is contrasted with "hum zha" (the human game), which is chess, and "rom zha" (the Romulan game), which is latranculo.
Of course, this book reflects a culture that is quite distinct from the Klingons we know, so one might wonder as to what extent the origin of the name still figures into a typical Klingon's perception of the game.

//loghaD

-----Original Message-----
From: tlhIngan-Hol <tlhingan-hol-bounces at lists.kli.org> On Behalf Of Lieven L. Litaer
Sent: den 16 juni 2021 14:13
To: tlhingan-hol at kli.org
Subject: Re: [tlhIngan Hol] is {tlhInja} chess

Am 16.06.2021 um 14:01 schrieb mayqel qunen'oS:
> Cutting through the crap of "what something actually is to a 
> non-existent alien race", does this info on {tlhInja} mean that in the 
> same way we say {vIghro'} for "cat", {lIr} for "owl", etc, we can say 
> {tlhInja} for chess?

No, I would not do it.

My main argument is that Klinzha is a real game that can be played, as opposed to the {vIghro'}, which is fictive.

Depending on context of course, I think one might make a difference by saying {tera' tlhInja}, like Okrand usually tells us to do with animal names and fruit and so.

--
Lieven L. Litaer
aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany"
http://klingon.wiki/En/KlinZha
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