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

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: 	'Iv
Part of speech: 	ques
Definition: 	who?
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yaS legh 'Iv 
Who sees the officer? TKD

'Iv legh yaS 
Whom does the officer see? TKD

SoH 'Iv 
Who are you? CK

SoH 'Iv jay' 
[Who the hell are you? (untranslated)] ST6

DevwI' ghaH 'Iv'e'? 
Who is the leader? (STID deleted line)

'ej 'Iv ghaH nuvvam'e' 
And who is this? (PB)

'Iv ghaH baHwI''e' 
(song by Captain Krankor, performed at various qep'a'mey [jatmey 4: 9-15])

(TKD 69):  For {'Iv} who? and {nuq} what? the question word fits in the position that would be occupied by the answer.

(SuStel [10/2019?]):  Okrand has explained that the question word {nuq} can be used as a pronoun in "to be" sentences. His example is {yIH nuq} "What is a tribble?" CK has a sentence, {nuq mI'lIj, tera'ngan" "What is your number, Terran?" Apparently, {nuq} can go on either side of the noun. TKD 69 shows that {'Iv} and {nuq} function in the same way. 

(Captain Krankor, "{'Iv} and {nuq} as Pronouns", The Grammarian's Desk, HQ [issue?]: p.24–25):   Remember, categories such as pronoun, question word, adverbial, and the like are convenient classification added by Terran scholars. Klingon grammarians classify all such words as {chuvmey}, leftovers.  So, {jIH}, {SoH}, and {maH} are the same type of words as {'Iv} and {nuq} and it would seem completely reasonable for them to behave similarly.

N.B. do not confuse with the noun {'Iv} "altitude".