[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: noH

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: 	noH
Part of speech: 	noun
Definition: 	war (an individual war)
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noH ghoblu'DI' yay quv law' Hoch quv puS 
In war there is nothing more honorable than victory. (TKW)

noH QapmeH wo' Qaw'lu'chugh yay chavbe'lu' 
"Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory" (TKW)

reH noHmey tagh Holmey. 
Language is the source of misunderstandings. (Lieven, TLP chapter XXI)
 
(KGT 46f):  There are two nouns traditionally translated as war: {veS} and {noH}. The first, {veS}, is war in the sense of warfare, the concept or idea of war; {noH}, on the other hand, is used for an individual or specific war. When Azetbur, leader of the Klingon High Council at the time of the first negotiations for peace with the Federation, expressed concern that 'war is obsolete,' she said, '{notlh veS},' not '{notlh noH}'; she felt the idea or nature of warfare, not a specific war, was obsolete... In short, the nouns {veS} (war, warfare) and {vIq} (combat) and the verb {Qoj} (wage war) all are used to refer to the ideas of warfare, combat, and making war, while the nouns {noH} (war) and {may'} (battle) and the verbs {ghob} (make war, do battle) and {Suv} (fight) are used when referring to specific, concrete instances of war, battle, and fighting. Thus it is possible to say {noH ghob} or {noH Suv}, both meaning "He/she fights a war", ... but it is not normally acceptable to say {veS ghob} ("He/she fights a warfare").

SEE ALSO:
vID 		be belligerent (v)

Do not confuse with the verb {noH} "judge, estimate".

--
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.