Klingon Word of the Day for Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Klingon word: bI'reS Part of speech: noun Definition: beginning (of an opera, play, story, speech) Source: HQ:v12n2p8

(HQ 12.2:8): For an opera, play, story, speech, and so on, the final portion is its {bertlham}. This word usually refers to the last aria or other musical portion in an opera, last speech in a play, last sentence or so of a story or an address. The {bertlham} of a well-known work is often well-known itself, as is its beginning ({bI'reS}). (KGT 13): An example of this is found in the story of Kahless and Lukara. Following the successful defense of the Great Hall at Qam-Chee, Kahless and Lukara engage in a brief conversation that marks the start of their epic romance. Students have been memorizing these lines and repeating them for so long, they have become part of the knowledge shared by all Klingons. One need only say the first line - "{mova' 'aqI' ruStaq}," a {no' Hol} way to say "today was a good day to die" - and everyone will know what is to follow. Interestingly, in the case of this particular conversation, the lines have been incorporated into a mating ritual that persists to this day, with the man and the woman taking the roles and repeating the {no' Hol} lines of Kahless and Lukara, respectively, as the prelude to a romantic encounter. {'o meQ qul! 'o meQ chal!} is the {bI'reS} of the opera of {qul tuq} (KCD). {Hoch jaghpu'Daj HoHbogh SuvwI' yIvup!} "Pity the warrior who slays all his foes" is a famous line from the epic poem {lu qeng} "The Fall of Kang" (KGT p.107). It may even be its {bI'reS} or {bertlham} - it sounds like a good opening or closing line to me. Okrand later used {bI'reS} as a time-stamp for the beginning of anything (i.e. beyond opera, play, story, and speech): bI'reS qeylIS vaq molor First, Molor taunts Kahless (PB) may' bI'reS bejtaHvIS mon (PB) (i.e. Molor again; translation not available) poH tuj bI'reS nungbogh wa' jaj qeylIS DIS chorghvatlh loSmaH jav qaStaHvIS. [sic] In the days that follow the summer solstice in the Year of Kahless 846. ('u'-Messate To Kronos) PUN: *be-reshit" (Hebrew title of the book of Genesis) SEE ALSO: mung origin (n) qa'vam genesis (origin of everything) (n) lut cherlu' "Prologue" (PB chapter title) -- Voragh tlhIngan ghantoH pIn'a' Ca'Non Master of the Klingons