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  Type: email
  Date: 19 July 1999
  Title: gods (from Marc)
  Author: Marc Okrand, Roger Cheesbro
  Summary: On {Qun} "god".
]]

Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 18:58:34 -0400  | Header from the message
To: tlhingan-hol@kli.org               | forwarded to tlhingan-hol
From: TPO <cheesbro@rpa.net>           |
Subject: gods (from Marc)              |

From the startrek.klingon news group:

There is a Klingon word that could be translated "god" or
"supernatural being":  <Qun>.

In talking of times long ago (pre-Kahless?), Klingons
mention these beings, and there seem to have been a good
number of them (the plural of <Qun> is <Qunpu'> since they
are or were presumably capable of using language, which is
what the plural suffix <-pu'> implies).  Though too little
is known of ancient Klingon theology, there doesn't seem to
have been a single <Qun> that stood out from the rest.
Indeed, the <Qunpu'> appear to have acted collectively.

<Qunpu'> are distinct from <qa'pu'> "spirits" (such as the
spirits of the dishonored dead which reside at Gre'thor).

<Qun'a'> "great god" (<Qun> plus <-'a'>, the augmentative
suffix) may or may not be an appropriate translation for a
single supernatural being in a monotheistic system, since
the <Qun'a'> would still be one among many.

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