[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: nguv

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: 	nguv
Part of speech: 	verb
Definition: 	be dyed, be stained, be tinted
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chay' nguv 
How is (it) tinted? [i.e. What color is it?] (KGT)

mIn QanwI' nguv  
sunglasses (TNK)

ret'aq nguvmoH 
He/she stains the knife handle. (KGT)

(KGT 81-82):  Compared to Federation Standard, Klingon terminology associated with colors is rather limited. First of all, there is no noun meaning color. There is, however, a verb, {nguv}, which means something like "be dyed, stained, tinted", though it is seldom used except in the phrase {chay' nguv} ("How is [it] tinted?") or when suffixed with {-moH} ("cause") in the form {nguvmoH} ("dye, tint, stain"; that is, "cause to be dyed," etc.) -- for example, {ret'aq nguvmoH} ("He/she stains the knife handle").

(Lieven, 8/30/2019):  Marc Okrand explained the word for color. He agreed that his wording was bit confusing. KGT is correct saying that there is no noun for color in the sense of What color is that? or Red is a nice color. The new word {qalmuS} is used to distinguish the colorfulness of pictures, for instance. He pointed at a color photograph and said "That one has color" and then at a b/w photo and said "that one has not." 

(nIqolay Q, 9/02/2019):  The word color has multiple meanings. It can refer to a specific shade of light in the visual spectrum: That tree is a nice color. My favorite color is blue. It can also refer to the phenomenon of color itself: This movie is in color. Can dogs see color? {qalmuS} applies to the latter, not the former. If you're looking for other English words that might be more precise, you could also try more technical terms like colorfulness, chroma, or saturation.

TREK TRIVIA:
  "Bright as a blade before it is stained with blood." (Lenore Karidian, TOS "The Conscience of the King")

SEE ALSO:
chum 		be colorful (v)
Dem 		be clear, transparent, uncolored (v)

DIj 		use/paint with a pigment stick (v)
ngoH 		smear, paint using fingers (v)

qalmuS 		color (n) [general term, not specific]
rItlh 		pigment, paint, dye (n)

--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary or notes from the last 
    year or two. I’ve fallen woefully behind in updating my files.