[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: QoQ jan (noun)

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon Word of the Day for Saturday, October 04, 2025

Klingon word: QoQ jan
Part of speech: noun
Definition: musical instrument
Source: 
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(KGT 74):  There are several types of Klingon musical instruments. Collectively, they are known as {QoQ jan} or {QoQ janmey} (the plural suffix {-mey} is never required). {QoQ}, as noted above, means music; {jan} is normally translated as device and is usually applied to some sort of sophisticated apparatus, but its use in {QoQ jan} may point to an earlier and less limited meaning, something like implement. There are special words used to describe the various techniques employed in playing specific instruments, but the general term for play a musical instrument is {chu'}, which, when applied to technologically advanced devices, including weapons, means activate. Indeed, out of context, {jan chu'} could mean either "activate the device" or "play the instrument", which may be why {QoQ jan} (musical instrument) is seldom shortened to simply {jan}. When the context is clearly musical, a player,--that is, one who plays a musical instrument--is a {chu'wI'}, though more specific terminology may also be used, depending on the instrument being played.  [...]  There are a great many Klingon percussion instruments--that is, instruments that make a sound as a result of something striking something else. Klingons seem to enjoy playing the percussion instruments more than instruments of other types. Among these are various drums and bells. The general term for a percussion instrument of any kind is {'In}.

(HQ 10.2:8):   The "finger verbs" are used when talking about specific ways of using a particular device (weapon, computer control panel, even musical instrument)

Cf. https://klingon.wiki/En/Music and https://klingon.wiki/En/MusicVocabulary

SEE:
QoQ  		music (n)
QoQ ghom  	group of instrumentalists (n)
QoQ yaH  	??? (n) (Hamletmachine)
  -  "Any place specifically designated for the performance of a specific task (or tasks) is a {yaH}. A stage is the {yaH} for the performance of plays or, perhaps, music. A football field is the {yaH} for a football game. A laboratory is a scientist's {yaH}. And, of course, on a ship, a {yaH} is a duty station. If context isn't enough to clarify what sort of {yaH} it is, you can say things like {much yaH}, {QoQ yaH}, {tamlerQeD yaH}, etc."  [Hamletmachine notes]

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons