[tlhIngan Hol] Buttons and pedals and knobs. Oh myyyyy!

[Lieven L. Litaer]

I'm not sure what your difficulties are, but here's what I had received.

Greetings,
   Lieven.

begin quote:

I guess with the qep'a' just a week away Dr. Okrand's mind is on the 
details of the Klingon language and he has been having in-depth 
discussions with Maltz.  He sent me an answer to a question I asked 
about a year ago. And  so, here, I share the answers with you...

     The distinction between {tI’var} and {leQ} is not primarily foot 
vs. hand, though that’s often part of it. It’s the way the mechanisms work.
     {leQ} refers to a device that you move in some direction (up or 
down, left or right: flip a switch, press a button) and, as a result of 
doing this, something happens (the light goes on, a doorbell rings). 
With some {leQmey}, some functions are accomplished by continuing to put 
pressure on the device (keep sliding the light switch until the lights 
dim to a desired level, keep pushing the power button until the computer 
comes back on), but then you let go and whatever outcome the switch was 
supposed to effect has come about; you don’t have to do anything more 
unless or until you want to change the outcome.
     By extension, {leQ} is also a button on a touchscreen even though 
nothing physically moves.
     In some (very) old cars, you’d turn the high-beam headlights on by 
pushing a button on the car’s floor with your foot. It was a button, not 
a pedal. And though you operated it with your foot, it would be a {leQ}.
     With a {tI’var}, it’s generally the case that you have to keep 
pressure on the device so that it continues to do what you want it to 
do. Yes, you can release the gas pedal and the car keeps going, but it’s 
no longer accelerating, which is what pushing the gas pedal causes. 
(With cruise control, you’ve taken controlling-by-pedal out of the mix.)
     {’olDop} and {jI’ev} are distinguished by how you use them (not 
what they’re used for). {’olDop} is the block you step on when you pedal 
a bike (not the whole mechanism); it’s definitely a foot thing. {jI’ev} 
is the thing you grab onto when turning a crank (also operating a door 
latch); it’s a hand thing.
     Having said that, if an acrobat in a circus rides a bike standing 
on his head and operates the pedals with his hands, they’re still 
{’olDopmey}.

I followed up with:
So the difference between {'olDop} and {jI'ev} is pressing on it versus 
grasping hold of it?  They both seem to turn cranks, spindles, or axles, 
but it seems that the {'olDop} is turned by pressing on the "block" and 
{jI'ev} is rotated by grasping the handle whether it is in line with the 
handle like a doorknob, turned 90° like a lever door handle, or perhaps 
even set on a crank.  So, could one of those old-time engine cranks be 
called a {jI'ev}?
And Dr. Okrand responded:

     Yes.  And you'd {ghujmoH} it.


janSIy



Am 18.08.2025 um 09:10 schrieb De'vID via tlhIngan-Hol:
> 
> 
> On Thu, Jul 10, 2025 at 9:22 PM janSIy . via tlhIngan-Hol <tlhingan- 
> hol at lists.kli.org <mailto:tlhingan-hol at lists.kli.org>> wrote:
> 
>     I guess with the qep'a' just a week away Dr. Okrand's mind is on the
>     details of the Klingon language and he has been having in-depth
>     discussions with Maltz.  He sent me an answer to a question I asked
>     about a year ago. And  so, here, I share the answers with you...
> 
>       *
> 
> 
> The shared text appears to me to be a jumble of words. I think you 
> included some formatting or something which makes it readable on some 
> devices. Can you re-share it as plain text?
> -- 
> De'vID
> 
> _______________________________________________
> tlhIngan-Hol mailing list
> tlhIngan-Hol at lists.kli.org
> http://lists.kli.org/listinfo.cgi/tlhingan-hol-kli.org

-- 
Lieven L. Litaer
aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany"
https://tlhInganHol.com
https://klingon.wiki/En/AliceInWonderland