tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 09 11:56:57 2006
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Re: walk two miles
Quvar:
> >how would I say that that I traveled or walked a specific distance,
> >e.g. two miles? Does it make sense to say {cha' qelI'qam jIleng}??
Quvar asks a very good question. My first inclination is to do it exactly
the way he did, with {cha' qelI'qam} as a sort of adverbial stamp. But on
second thought I wonder if we need a verb with {-taHVIS}. But what
verb? Perhaps {qaS} "occur, happen"? Hmm... Can a distance occur in Klingon?
? qaStaHvIS cha' qelI'qam jIleng.
Although {cha' qelI'qam} is measuring how far you walked, in effect you're
using it to say how long you walked: i.e. for (the time it took to travel)
two kellicams.
QeS:
>{vIleng}. But for my part, I think this is reasonable.
I'm not sure about using {vI-}. The object of {leng} is a location, with
or without {-Daq}. In this it works like {ghoS}:
There are a few verbs whose meanings include locative notions,
such as {ghoS} "approach, proceed". The locative suffix need
not be used on nouns which are the objects of such verbs... If
the locative suffix is used with such verbs, the resulting
sentence is somewhat redundant, but not out-and-out wrong. (TKD 28)
and Okrand used {leng} as an example in HolQeD 12/1998:
yuQ vIleng
yuQDaq vIleng
I travel to the planet. (HQ [12/1998])
yuQvo' jIleng
I roam away from the planet. (HQ [12/1998])
yuQDaq jIleng
I roam (around/about) on the planet. (HQ [12/1998])
Quvar:
> >I could maybe avoid the problem by saying
> >{jIleng. cha' qelI'qam 'aD He}??
QeS:
>This also makes sense to me, although to be more specific you could say
>{...'aD HewIj} "my course measured...". Another way I would have done it is
>{...'aD lengwIj chuq} "my journey's distance measured..."
Interesting idea, but I don't know if {'aD} can be used to measure
something as big as a distances. We know it measures physical length:
There are two words used for length: {'aD} and {'ab}. Both of
these can be translated as "have a length of", but they are used
somewhat differently. {'aD} is used in contrast with {juch} "have
a width of" in measuring, say, a table top. {'ab}, on the other
hand, is used for (potentially) longish, skinnyish things (for
example, spears) and also for heights. (st.k 10/22/97)
wejvatlh loSmaH loS vI' vagh wej 'uj 'aD Duj
Length: 120 M. (KBoP)
Do Klingons consider a distance to be a form of length, or is it only used
for objects? Maybe it can be used to measure something tangible, say a
road -- or should we use {'ab}, since roads are "(potentially) longish,
skinnyish things". But if not {'ad} or {'ab}, what then?
AFAIK we have three examples of a measured distance/range {chuq}:
chorghSaD qelI'qam HIvchuq'e' vInoH
Estimating attack range in 8,000 kellicams. (ST5)
jabbI'ID pup: Qapchu'meH 'aqroS chuq: cha' vI' chorgh loghqammey
High Resolution - Maximum Effective Range - 3.5 Light Years (KBoP)
jabbI'ID pupHa': Qapchu'meH chuq: chorgh vI' chorgh loghqammey
Medium to Low Resolution - Effective Range - 11 Light Years (KBoP)
None of these are exactly relevant, though the ST5 example may give a
hint. E.g.:
cha' qelI'qam chuq 'oH lengwIj'e' 'e' vInoH.
I estimate that my journey was a distance of 2 kellicams.
I wonder if this can be abbreviated to:
cha' qelI'qam lengwIj'e' vInoH.
I estimate my journey was 2 kellicams.
I estimate it to be a 2 kellicam journey.
I think we may have to ask Maltz about this.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons