tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Mar 17 14:35:36 1999

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: tlhIngan weights and measures (speculation)

Okay, let me see if I have this straight.

Liquid Measure:

tlho'ren - approx. 1 liter
[My waterskin holds almost 2 liters, perhaps "skin" (bladder would be
slightly more acurate) is the origen of the word?]

In addition: ngaSwI' - container, bottle
	     bal     - jug
	     HIvje'  - cup, flagon
	     qegh    - "keg", vat, barrel


Linear Measure:

'uj    - approx. 35 cm
'uj'a' - 9 'ujmey (315 cm)
[The average distance of a Klingon stride comes close to 35 cm.]

qeliqam - approx. 2 km (Do I need to repeat the joke here?)
[A Klingon could probably walk this distance in roughly one hour.]


Weight:

cheb    - approx. 5 lbs
cheb'a' - 9 chebmey (45-50 lbs)
[No clue how this one was derived. Good chance a <cheb> was a stone weight
used for measuring grain or other such commodities.]

=========

Speaking of commerce, what weights and values do Klingons use in thie
monetary system? (Assuming they have one; <Huch> is translated in TKD as
'money', but the meaning is probably something closer to 'wealth'.) We
know from _Kahless_ that land was condidered a form of property. And the
Da'har Master mentioned that "Kahless himself used [his sword] to plow his
father's fields." (ST:DS9) Herd animals were - and likely still are-
considered a form of wealth.

Culturally speaking, I'd expect barter and reciprical giving of goods and
services (debt slavery , anyone?) to be central to the Klingon economy.
Still, I'm sure Klingons had some form of portable wealth. Pelts, perhaps,
or maybe jewelry or precious stones. Given the apparent rarity of wooden
objects, perhaps wood itself is a valued commodity.

Thoughts anyone?


quljIb
=======
verenganbe' jIH! tlhInganvaD quv potlh law' Huch potlh puS.
"I am not (a) Ferengi! To a Klingon, honour is more important than
wealth."

Back to archive top level