tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Nov 07 11:15:14 1999
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Re: Okrand on {'aD} and {'ab}
Holtej wrote:
: I have a note in my canon database that Okrand comented on {'aD} and {'ab}
: on the old MSN newsgroup, but I don't have most of the text of what he said.
: Does anyone else have this? My notes indicate that it was on 10/22, but I
: don't know what year. It starts off with,
:
: "There are two words used for length: {'aD} and {'ab}. Both of these can
: be translated "have a length of," but they are used somewhat differently."
:
: Anyone? Voragh?
Here's the relevant part of Okrand's 10/22/97 post on weights and measures:
=========================================================================
From: Marc Okrand <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: msn.onstage.startrek.expert.okrand
Date: October 22, 1997
Subject: Re: Weights and Measures
We don't know a whole lot about Klingon weights and measures, but here's a
little more information that may be helpful.
[snip]
(2) There are two words used for length: <'aD> and <'ab>. Both of these
can be translated "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 tabletop. <'ab>, on the other hand, is used for
(potentially) longish, skinnyish things (for example, spears) and also for
heights. Thus, one might say:
jav 'ujmey 'ab SuvwI'
"the warrior has a length of six ujs" (about 6'10")
This might sound a little more natural as "the warrior stands six ujs" or
"the warrior is six ujs tall."
[Or should it be "ujes" in the translation?]
One could also say:
vagh 'ujmey vI'ab
"I have a length of five ujs" (about 5'8") or "I'm five ujs tall"
And it is, of course, acceptable to leave out the plural suffix <-mey>
when a number precedes the measure word, in this case <'uj>":
wej 'uj 'ab naQjej
"the spear has a length of three uj" (about 3'5") or "the spear
measures three uj" or "the spear is three uj long"
[snip]
=========================================================================
There are also several examples in the Bird of Prey Poster:
wejvatlh loSmaH loS vI' vagh wej 'uj 'aD Duj
Length: 120 M.
loSmaH jav vI' Soch loS 'uj 'ab meH
Bridge Height: 16.28 M.
HIvtaHvIS toQDuj cha'vatlh wejmaH Soch vI' vagh chorgh 'uj 'ab 'oH
Attack Formation Height: 82.75 M.
qughtaHvIS toQDuj HutmaH vI' jav wa' 'uj 'ab 'oH
Cruise Formation Height: 31.56 M.
SaqtaHvIS toQDuj wa'vatlh loS vI' jav chorgh 'uj 'ab 'oH
Landing Formation Height: 36.46 M.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons