[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: qIj

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: 	qIj
Part of speech: 	verb
Definition: 	be black
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batlh maHeghbej 'ej yo' qIjDaq vavpu'ma' DImuv 
Then we die with honor and join our fathers in the Black Fleet... (Anthem)

(KGT 82):  Klingon recognizes four basic colors: {chIS} be white, {qIj} be black, {Doq} be red/orange, {SuD} be blue/green. Various devices are employed when it is necessary to talk about colors more precisely. The suffix {-qu'} is useful as in {Doqqu'} (red) and {SuDqu'} (green).  {wov} and {Hurgh} may also modify colors as in {SuD 'ej wov} (yellow) or objects may be compared to something else that typically has a particular color as in {Doq 'ej beqpuj rur} "(it) is {Doq} and resembles {beqpuj}" (an orange mineral). 

(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.)

(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." 

CULTURE:
  The large spatial void created by Nagilum reminded Worf of an ancient Klingon legend of a gigantic black space creature that devoured entire ships. (TNG "Where Silence Has Lease")

SEE:
HIq qIj 		black ale (n)
HuDqIj 		Black Hills (GN) 
yo' qIj 		the "Black Fleet" (i.e. the Klingon afterlife)

SEE ALSO:
chIS 		be white (v)
Hurgh 		be dark (v)
wov		be light, bright (v)
chum 		be colorful (v)
Dem 		be clear, transparent, uncolored (v)

qalmuS 		color (n)
rItlh 		pigment, paint, dye (n)

PUN:
jeqqIj  		club, bludgeon ["black jack"!]

--
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.