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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">I had the same thought as Luciano: {petaQ} may have originally been some sort of disgusting creature or thing, which is why it’s pluralized with {-mey} in the
same way that {DeSqIvDu’} “elbows” is also used for V-shaped pot handles (KGT p.97). But as SuStel says, we have no way of knowing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">For comparison, more than one animal - even when used to refer to people - is {Ha’DIbaHmey} in the paq’batlh:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">ghoStaHvIS tam 'ej So'
<br>
molor QaS HoS <br>
ram Ha'DIbaHmey rur <br>
They sneak and they creep,<br>
The men of mighty Molor,<br>
Like beasts in the dark. (PB)<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">DaqtaghlIj yIlel qeylIS
<br>
ngemvamDaq Ha'DIbaHmey tIHoH <br>
wa' targh cha' tlhInganpu'qoq je <br>
Kahless, pull your d'k tahg, <br>
Kill the beasts in this forest, <br>
One a targ, and two who call themselves Klingon. (PB)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Note that {Ha’DIbaHmey} refers to two {tlhInganpu’qoq} “so-called Klingons” in the second example.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">--<br>
Voragh<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext"> SuStel<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On 9/27/2019 11:03 AM, Luciano Montanaro wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<pre>As far as I know, petaQ is an insult, but the specific meaning has<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>been withheld, probably to make it safe to use in a program for<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>children.<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>As such, we cannot desume that using -mey is an additional insult; as<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>far as we know, a petaQ may be a disgusting animal, or thing, so -mey<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>would be the grammatical correct way to pluralize it.<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Am I missing something here?<o:p></o:p></pre>
</blockquote>
<p>I agree. We just don't have any data on which to speculate. All we know is that in
<i>paq'batlh</i> Molor calls a group of assembled Klingons <b>petaQmey.</b><o:p></o:p></p>
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