Re: qISmaS

["Mark E. Shoulson" <mark@kli.org>]

>From: "Michael Kaplan" <michka@trigeminal.com>
>Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 21:22:13 -0800
>
>> Yeah... I mean, the Hebrew term for Christmas is <Hag ha-molad> (the H like
>> Klingon H, the h like English h).  Nothing that sounds at all like
>> /krIsm@s/.  If you want to *transliterate* it, yes, as above works okay.
>> Is that what Klingons studying Terran culture call it?  I wouldn't presume
>> to say.
>
>Interesting point. The Hebrew term "molad" refers to the moment that the Moon lies right between the
>Earth and the Sun, a.k.a. the "birth of the new moon." It becomes very important when trying to
>convert to Hebrew dates (something I was just working on yesterday, as luck would have it!). Not
>sure how "Holiday of the birth of the new moon" is the name for Christmas by any way other than
>someone localizing the term rather than just transcribing the sounds. So there is some precedent for
>Klingon terms that are the Klingon impression of a Terran holiday.

Well, "molad" just means "birth".  It's used for the birth of the New Moon,
in calendrical contexts.  <Hag ha-molad> is "holiday of the birth",
referring to Christmas as the birthday of Jesus.  (though "birthday"
normally is "yom huledet")

For converting, try my applet at

http://web.meson.org/calendars/

>> What's the English word for Purim (the Jewish holiday)?  Or for that matter
>> orangutan and taco?  (but by the same token you can't always assume
>> transliteration)
>
>The term means "lots" based on the lots that were thrown. But there is enough strange imagery in any
>holiday that the Klingon term might not in any way be related to the Terran name (the Hebrew name
>for Christmas being a great example).

Actually, "Purim" as "lots" is a Persian term, not Hebrew, but you're right
("lots" would  be "goral" in Hebrew, as it's translated in the Book of
Esther itself).  I wasn't asking for information; my point was that things
don't necessarily have sensible translations, especially (but not only)
culturally-specific things.

~mark