tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Oct 20 08:02:15 1997
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Re: base 3 (was RE: vIghojqa')
la'Hom qorDayt wrote:
> DolraH said:
>
> Klingon was supposedly a base 3 number system
> Both you and MO mention the numbers 1,2,3
> technically that would be a base 4 system
The old Klingon system did'nt ackknowledge the number zero as a number, if there is
nothing to count why have a number for it, From what I've gathered from reading and
MO.
> Perhaps Klingon distinguishes between the zero and the 3, as if we, using a
> base ten, used two different characters or concepts for zero and ten.
>
> We count using a columnar system. That is, we call it 10 becaise it has 1 in
> the tens column and zero in the ones column. 23 would be 2 tens plus 3, or 3
> and 20.
>
> Klingon, as I recall from TKD, uses something slightly different. It counts 1,
> 2, 3, 3+1, 3+2, 3+3, 2x3+1, 2x3+2, etc. In the ancient Klingon, it might go
> something like this: wa', cha', wej, wej wa', wej cha', wej wej, cha'wej wa',
> cha'wej cha', etc. pagh as zero would not be part of the counting because if
> you have zero of something you can't actually count it.
This is my understanding of the system as well.
> It may be significant that wa' and cha' are the only numbers that end with a
> glottal stop. wej would be distinguished in its counting by it's lack of a
> glottal stop. When the Klingons developed the base ten, the rest of the numbers
> also lacked the glottal stop.
>
> My own speculation is that Klingon always had a base ten and that the base
> three was an artifical construct for political/religious reasons. Humans have
> base ten likely because they have ten fingers and the counting system developed
> from that 'natural' way of counting. There are a few instances of non-base-10
> numbering systems (ancient americas Maya? Inca? one of those guys. Didn't they
> have a base 12?) But, from what I recall, those numbering systems were used for
> official records of the government. The general population might well have used
> a base ten, counting on their fingers.
>
> Anyway, that's just my opinion, offended that the klingons would adopt a base
> 10 just because the rest of the 'civilized' galaxy uses base ten (notice, they
> all have ten fingers). It also cuts against my grain to hear on the tape that
> the Klingons have adopded a 24 hour day for the same reason. That's human
> arogance if ever I heard it.
I. agree totaly with the arogance part and have a question, What is the length of
a Klingon Day and Year?
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