tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Mar 03 08:07:58 1999
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Higher math (was Re: time)
Thornton asks:
> So, can number forming elements be combined? Can I say either
> {cha'netlh} or {cha'maHvatlh} for "twenty thousand (20,000)"?
charghwI':
: I would tend to avoid these alternatives until we get examples
: to the contrary. [....] So far as we know, {cha'maHvatlh}
: would similarly not make any sense. So far as we know, the only
: legitimate expression of that number would be {cha'netlh}.
pagh:
: For the first question - we don't know. We do know it is absolutely correct
: to say <cha'netlh>, but <cha'maHvatlh> is suspect at best. The only real
: problem this leaves us is for numbers of ten million and larger, which can't
: be expressed with the number words we already have. If we can ever prod
: Maltz into writing a basic Klingon math text, I'm sure we'll find out how to
: count higher; until then we will all have to wait.
There are several more examples of large numbers on the new Klingon
Bird-of-Prey poster (KBP), including one that answers Thornton's question:
wejvatlh SochmaH vagh SaD cheb'a'mey ngI' Duj
Mass: 8.7 KT
This is literally "The ship weighs 375,000 {cheb'a'mey}" -- "375 {SaD}",
pronounced just as the English "375 thousand". Note that both {SaD} and
"thousand" are the singular forms, not the plural. So 20,000 is two words:
{cha'maH SaD}.
DloraH pointed out that in TKD (p171) and TKW (p127) we have the proverb:
qaStaHvIS wa' ram loS SaD Hugh SIjlaH qetbogh loD
4,000 throats may be cut in one night by a running man.
where {loS SaD} is also spelled as two words. (Other canonical examples
with {SaD} come from the audiotapes or movie soundtracks, so we can't see
how Okrand wrote them.) It seems that some number elements can be written
as separate words and do not necessarily have to be combined as a type of
suffix. Perhaps there is some kind of subtle difference between {loSSaD}
and {loS SaD}, analogous to "four thousand" and "four thousands", possibly
pronounced with or without a slight pause between the words. Or the
proverb may include a {no' Hol} form of the number. We really need that
basic Klingon math text Pagh mentioned!
Speaking of which... is Okrand's math right? One {cheb} = ca. 2.25 kg/5
lbs, and according to charghwI's interview with Okrand one {cheb'a'} = 9
{chebmey}. So the BoP weighs ca. 7,593,750 kg. Where did the 8.7 KT
figure come from? Is a kiloton one million tons?
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons