tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Feb 11 14:50:14 2004

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Re: Klingon WOTD: pem (n)

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 


>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Thursday, February 5, 2004.
>
>Klingon word:   pem
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition:     daytime

As used in canon:

   wa'maH cha' pemmey wa'maH cha' rammey je
   twelve days and twelve nights (idiom: "a long time")

   This is a rather long-winded way to say "a long time" (which would
   be {poH nI'} in nonidiomatic speech). It implies a bit more than that,
   however, for it is used to mean not only that the length of an event
   is long but also that the event is an important one, worthy of taking
   up so much time. The expression comes from the well-known story of
   Kahless the Unforgettable, the founder of the Klingon Empire, and his
   brother, Morath, who fought for the fabled "twelve days and twelve
   nights" because Morath had broken his word an brought shame to the
   family. The word used for "days", {pemmey}, is the plural form of
   {pem} ("day, daytime"), a word referring to the part of the day when
   it is light out (as opposed to {ram} ["night"]). Another word, {jaj}
   ("day") refers to the full period from dawn to dawn. (KGT 121)

Elsewhere:

   Thus, Federation Standard uses the single word "day" to refer to
   both a period of 24 Earth hours (generally reckoned from midnight
   to midnight) and to that part of the 24-hour period which is light
   (day as opposed to night). In Klingon, there are two distinct terms:
   {jaj} is the period from dawn to dawn; {pem} is that part of a {jaj}
   which is light (as opposed to {ram} ["night"]). Although Federation
   Standard also makes use of the locutions "daytime" and "nighttime",
   when a speaker of Federation Standard is counting periods of daytime,
   only day is used. Thus, three days, with no further context, is
   ambiguous, for it can refer to three 24-hour periods (as in "They
   wandered for three days") or three periods of daylight (as in "They
   wandered for three days and three nights"). In Klingon, {wej jajmey}
   means only three stretches from dawn to dawn; {wej pemmey} means
   "three periods of daylight" (as opposed to {wej rammey} ["three
   nights"]). (KGT 206-7)

   In Klingon, you could even say {DaHjaj pem} "today's daytime", which
   would probably be typically contrasted with {DaHjaj ram} "today's
   night" (or "tonight"). (st.klingln 6/97)

Cf. also the nouns {pemjep} "midday" - not the same as {DungluQ} "noon" - 
and {ramjep} "midnite".



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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