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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 7/26/2016 1:35 PM, Elizabeth
Lawrence wrote:<br>
</div>
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cite="mid:CAG_hjBT+SVB5GpNXTD0TAiDSPw1ARW8Qokohn=a3x5cSNCqn=g@mail.gmail.com"
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<div dir="ltr">No, I would not speak of mowing someone's hair, but
I would certainly speak of trimming the lawn.
<<chIp>> is glossed as "cut, trim (hair)".</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>But the English word <i>trim</i> doesn't mean "cut hair." It
means "make shorter by cutting." The Klingon word <b>chIp,</b>
however, means "make <i>hair</i> shorter by cutting." English <i>trim</i>
can be applied to things other than hair, and is not even
especially associated with hair.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
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<div dir="ltr">When hair is cut or trimmed, it is shortened for
aesthetic effect. I don't know that Klingons have the notion of
mowing lawns at all, and "Giving the grass a haircut" is
certainly much more descriptive of what is happening than
"Cutting the grass" would be to people who have no tradition of
mown lawns.</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>Maltz gave us the phrase <b>magh yotlh,</b> so he at least
understands the concept and could declare a "correct" phrase for
it.</p>
<p>Whether "giving the grass a haircut" is a better description of
the act than "cutting the grass" is subjective, and I'm not sure I
agree that it's more descriptive. One relies on metaphor; the
other is straightforward. And there are other reasons to mow grass
than just for aesthetics: sports fields need to be mown if they
are grassy; tall grass can support dangerous fauna, obstruct
vision, and hinder the operation of vehicles; some animals eat
hay. Since <b>magh</b> is a Klingon plant <i>like</i> grass,
they must deal with it from time to time, either obliterating it
or mowing it. Or maybe even using it decoratively.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
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<div dir="ltr">I will continue with magh chIpwI' as the much more
evocative</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
...and incorrect...<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAG_hjBT+SVB5GpNXTD0TAiDSPw1ARW8Qokohn=a3x5cSNCqn=g@mail.gmail.com"
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<div dir="ltr"> phrase.</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
I dislike playing the "a Klingon would" game, where we project our
ideas of what a Klingon would do/say/believe/prefer and use that
straw man as an argument for Klingon grammar. Barring information
from Okrand, using <b>chIp</b> as <i>mow</i> is, at best, poetic
license. The standard verb is <b>pe'</b><i> cut.</i> If you like,
use <b>runmoH</b> <i>shorten</i> along with it to get your point
across.<br>
<p><br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
SuStel
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://trimboli.name">http://trimboli.name</a></pre>
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