Hello dear Klingonists,
at the qepHom words wish list, somebody asked for a word for "to sew". I
searched for that, and noticed that we have a verb {QIS} of which I
thought it has that meaning, at least it does so in German.
For context, the request which resulted in {QIS} was worded as:
stitch (v): pass needle and thread through fabric in the process of sewing
The notes which accompanied the revealed word said: "The object is the thing being sewn or stitched together."
This implies that {QIS} is used in Klingon to express the act of sewing, namely by supplying the object (presumably plural, if two things are being sewn together).
So I wondered: What is the difference between "stitch" and "sew", if
there is any?
Yes. A stitch is a single turn or loop, the fundamental unit of movement in the textile arts. One of these is sewing, which is the act of attaching materials together with stitches. Another is {nIq} (weaving, knitting, crocheting), in which the stitches of material (e.g., yarn) themselves make up the final product. So someone who is sewing is making stitches, but someone who is stitching is not necessarily sewing.