[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: qer

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: 	qer
Part of speech: 	verb
Definition: 	shrink, get smaller
Source: 		QelIS boqHarmey [Klingon Alice]
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(Lieven/Klingon Alice < MO):  The word for grow (increase in size) is {Qa}. But for animals or plants growing, that is, maturing (not just increasing in size), use {nenchoH}. 
    {QaHa'} would refer to getting smaller after the thing had previously grown bigger - that is, it's losing (in length or whatever) what it had gained. So if the balloon is losing air, you could say it {QaHa'}.
    Presumably the object is going back towards its original size (though it may not get that far or may become even smaller than it once was). 
    For "get smaller, shrink" (without the notion of having previously grown), use {qer}. Of course, depending on exactly what you want to say, you can also use {machchoH}.
    The choice depends on whether you're focusing on just the shrinking or growing, on the one hand, or on the return to or towards the original size (or beyond!). 
    So if your main character started at their original size, and then shrank, that's {qer}. If they then started to grow, that would be {Qa} if the storyteller is just saying that they grew, but it would be {qerHa'} if the storyteller was saying that the shrinking was reversing.  If the de-shrinking continued so that the character ended up bigger than they originally were, that might be {qerHa'} and then - what a surprise! - {Qa}. 
    For Pinocchio, if you're saying that after his nose grew he started telling the truth and his nose got smaller, that's probably {QaHa'}. If you'd just met the long-nosed Pinocchio for the first time and didn't know the story of the nose but saw it get smaller, you'd probably say {qer}.
    In short, you have four words to choose from, depending on what exactly you want to say:  {qer}, {qerHa'}, {Qa}, {QaHa'}. 

SEE ALSO:
mach  		be small (v)
run 		be short [in stature] (v)
tIn 		be big, large (v)

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons