Okrand:
"English words like "east" and "southwest" are, as noted, just convenient
tags for what the Klingon words mean. Since {chan} actually refers to that
part of the landscape in the direction of the sunrise, "east" is a
reasonable English counterpart. The standard translations of {'ev} and
{tIng} follow from the standard translation of {chan}. But Klingon {chan}
does not work the same as English "east." From the Klingon point of view, it
makes no sense to say that something is "in the east." One can go towards
the east, something can be to the east of something else, but nothing can
actually be "in" the east. No matter how far eastward you go, there's
something still to your east. Thus the awkward translations "area eastward,
area towards the east" and so forth. (And, of course, the same can be said
for the other directions.)"
I don't see any examples where the direction is not given relative to
something.