HQ 10.2:8-9: nujDajDaq rIl'egh ghu, literally "at his/her mouth, the baby uses at him/herself his/her thumb", is used for "the baby sucks its thumb". rIlwI' thumb (n.) HQ 10.2:7f.: the word nItlh "finger" means any finger, including the thumb. A hand has vagh nItlhDu' (five fingers), not loS nItlhDu' (four fingers) and a thumb. There is a specific word referring to each of the five fingers, and these words are nouns derived from verbs by means of the suffix -wI' (thing which does); there are two pairs for thumb. The Federation Standard translation of the verbs is a little strained, but they mean something like "use (the specific finger)". The associated 'finger nouns' would be literally, though quite awkwardly, "thing which is used in a thumb-like manner" or perhaps "thing which thumbs" or even thumber ... The two sets of words relating to thumb are pretty much interchangeable, though small children usually use rIl and rIlwI' rather than Sen and SenwI'. Similarly, adults speaking to or about children tend to use rIl and rIlwI'. Both words are used together in an idiomatic expression meaning "everybody, everyone": SenwI'Du' rIlwI'Du' je, literally "thumbs and thumbs". This expression is often heard without the plural suffixes: SenwI' rIlwI' je. Also note rIl "play (a wind instrument)": This is a brass technique, not a flute technique. Most typically it is used with gheb as the object. (HQ 10.2) PUN: gheb rIl "Gabriel"! SEE ALSO: Heng finger holes in a musical instrument (v) 'uy press down (v)