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may'
[ mɑjʔ ]
Noun
English: battle
German: Kampf, Schlacht
Source: TKD
Category: war
KLCP Level: 1
See Also:
Notes
may' yIghuH
Battle Alert! ST3

may' ngeb tIv Hoch
Everyone enjoys a mock battle. CK

may'Daq jaHDI' SuvwI' juppu'Daj lonbe'
When a warrior goes to a battle, he does not abandon his friends. TKW

may'meyDajvo' Haw'be' tlhIngan
A Klingon does not run away from his battles. TKW

narghbe'chugh SuvwI' qa' taH may'
If the warrior's spirit has not escaped, the battle is still going on. TKW

wo' choqmeH may' DoHlu'chugh lujbe'lu'
"ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat." TKW

yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI' Say'moHchu' may' 'Iw
The blood of battle washes clean the warrior brave and true. (Anthem)

ngIq tonSaw' lo' 'ej rIn may'
In one single move, the battle was done. PB

may' DaQap, vaj betleH 'obe' Damuv 'e' Daqotlh
Win battle and earn entrance into the Order of the Bat'leth. MKE

SEE ALSO:
may' bom                battle song
may' ghe'naQ    battle opera
may' qoch       battle partner
may' Sut                body armor
may' ta                 record of battle
may' taj                battle knife
may'Duj                 battle cruiser
may'luch                battle gear, panoply, complete set of armor & weapons
may'morgh       battle array

N.B. may'ron "accordion, concertina" has nothing to do with battles -- presumably.

USAGE NOTES:
(KGT 47):  In parallel fashion, any specific battle is may', but the concept of battle is vIq, often translated as "combat"... In short, the nouns veS (war, warfare) and vIq (combat) and the verb Qoj (wage war) all are used to refer to the ideas of warfare, combat, and making war, while the nouns noH (war) and may' (battle) and the verbs ghob (make war, do battle) and Suv (fight) are used when referring to specific, concrete instances of war, battle, and fighting. Thus it is possible to say ... may' ghob or may' Suv, meaning "He/she fights a battle", but it is not normally acceptable to say ... vIq Suv ("He/she fights a combat").

(KGT 164):  It is inappropriate to use the word [Sub (slang)] to describe anything other than a person; a phrase such as may' Sub would mean only "solid battle" and would probably be considered a meaningless utterance.

(KGT 159):  When applied to anything other than people or animals, the slang meaning is more likely. Thus, may' qu' (fierce battle) is really a way of saying "excellent battle". In Klingon, only a participant in a battle, not the battle itself, can literally be described as fierce.

TREK TRIVIA:
The Battle of HarOs was a famous battle involving the Klingons. As a present for Worf's 30th birthday, Data created an expressionist painging of the famous battle which LaForge recognized. (TNG "Parallels")

The Klingons fought the Romulans in a legendary victory at Klach D'Kel Bracht in 2272. (DS9 "Blood Oath")

Usage for may'
may' bom pIm bom
sing a different battle song
Type: idiom - Source: KGT p. 118
latlh De'/Additional Information

speak of another matter entirely:

{DaH may' bom pIm Dabom.}
Well, that's another matter altogether.
may' ngeb tIv Hoch.
Everyone enjoys a mock battle.
Type: sentence - Source: Conversational Klingon
may'meyDajvo' Haw'be' tlhIngan.
A Klingon does not run away from his battles.
Type: proverb - Source: TKW p.91
latlh De'/Additional Information

This maxim also appears in other guises, depending on what it is a Klingon does not run from. The general meaning of all of them is that Klingons do not flee; they do not abdicate their responsibilities or avoid the consequences of their actions. For example, when Worf decided to challenge the charge of treason leveled against his father, he knew that he would have to accept the penalty --- death --- if unsuccessful. A Klingon does not run from a judgment against him.
If the warrior's spirit has not escaped, the battle is still going on.
Type: proverb - Source: TKW p.147
latlh De'/Additional Information
When a Klingon dies, it is thought that his spirit leaves his body and goes to join the spirit of other dead Klingons. This is marked in the Klingon Death Ritual when the surviving comrades howl---a warning to the dead that a warrior's spirit is on its way. The body, once the spirit has left it, is considered a worthless shell and is discarded unceremoniously. Exactly what Klingons think the spirit is doing when it leaves the body is a little unclear. The verb "{nargh,}" found in the saying cited above, means "escape," but the same word, or a phonetically identical one, means "appear." Thus, perhaps the Klingons are saying that when a warrior dies, his spirit appears, whereas prior to death it was hidden or disguised by the body. Another interpretation is that the spirit was held prisoner by the body. Worf told Jeremy, whose mother had been killed, "In my tradition, we do not grieve the loss of the body. We celebrate the releasing of the spirit."
When a warrior goes to battle, he does not abandon his friends.
Type: proverb - Source: TKW p.38
Many of the warriors fell,
The river ran red with the blood
Of a glorious battle!
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
Kahless knows by instinct
A fight will not suffice
To enter the land of the dead.
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
What is this?
I wake up to the sound
Of battle between my kin!
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Ground Book
Then, the morning after,
The battle will not be as short,
As it would be if my warriors were fit!
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
These fearsome warriors,
They fight without remorse,
And there is fire in their eyes.
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
You stood there, you attack
Like a krencha*, short and fierce,
Avoiding long and dangerous battle.
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
This is what Kotar and Molor
Have said to Kahless
In the hours before battle.
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
Win battle and earn entrance into the order of the bat'leth.
Collect 150 forces.
Type: sentence - Source: Klingon Monopoly Combat Cards
First, he watches the battle smiling,
Then, he sees many of his troops fall,
Then, he sees the Qempa'keh,
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory, and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat.
Type: proverb - Source: TKW p.211
latlh De'/Additional Information

This is an ancient adage, originally voiced by Kahless himself.

Interestingly, when the Federation first started learning about Klingons, Kahless was considered to be no more than an evil conqueror. He had formed an empire of, in James Kirk's words, "conquered worlds." The Klingons, Kirk felt, "take what they want by arms and force." As part of their examination of the behavior of other life forms, the Excalbians staged a conflict between the forces of "good"---represented by Kirk, Spock, and the images of Abraham Lincoln and the Vulcan philosopher Surak---and those of "evil"---represented by, among others, the image of Kahless. The Excalbians formed their replica of Kahless on the basis of the Federation's concept of him. Therefore, they described him in terms fitting an oppressor: "the Klingon who set the pattern for his planet's tyrannies."

In time, and as more was learned about Klingon history and culture, the Federation's understanding of the role of Kahless in Klingon history changed. It is now known that Klingons consider him a great warrior who did indeed conquer other worlds, but united the Empire by giving the people the laws of honor which direct every Klingon's life.
In one single move, he removed the hearts,
In one single move, he restored his honor,
In one single move, the battle was done.
Type: sentence - Source: paq'batlh: Force Book
The Klingon battle knife is designed primarily for versatility of use, so that the user is never caught at a disadvantage. Two small, secondary blades eject from the knife's sides, providing both a hand guard and another set of cutting edges. A brutally spiked pommel fastens the hilt together to provide a damaging surprise attack or give a devastating backhand stroke.
Type: skybox card - Source: SuvwI' taj - Blade of the Warrior (SP2)
latlh De'/Additional Information
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