On 7/26/2016 3:09 PM, Alan Anderson wrote:
The Klingon Dictionary defines {chIp} as "cut, trim" and puts (hair)
in parentheses. I choose to interpret that as meaning "hair" is an
appropriate object of the verb, and it is probably the default if one
is not explicitly given, but it is not the only correct object.

I, however, believe it means only cutting hair. When words are put in parentheses, it means Okrand is disambiguating definitions for us, not giving us sample objects because he feels like it. baH is fire (torpedo, rocket, missile) to distinguish it from meanings like fire (employee). QIq is draw, pull out (weapon, tool, instrument) to keep us from thinking it means draw (as on paper) or pull out (military forces). He is even obviously not specifying an object in the parentheses in a word like Dan occupy (military term). chIp cut, trim (hair) is doing the same thing, telling us that this refers to hair-cutting and not other kinds of cutting or trimming.

If this weren't the case, he wouldn't give us parentheses only for the words that can be ambiguous in English. He doesn't give us, for instance, bav orbit (planet, nucleus), or ghup swallow (down throat) because these English definitions are already unambiguous.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name