tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Nov 26 07:23:43 1999

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Re: cardinal directions



"Mark E. Shoulson" wrote:
> 
> >Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 09:28:04 -0600
> >From: Terrence Donnelly <[email protected]>
> >
> >If you put <chan> at the top of your map, then the compass
> >rose for the three cardinal points looks remarkably like the
> >Klingon trefoil!
> 
> I truly doubt that was a coincidence.
> 
> Actually, I rolled my eyes at this chan/'ev/tIng thing.  OK, Klingons like
> threes, we get the picture, but that doesn't mean they're OBSSESSED with
> the number!  We like tens, but we still have four cardinal directions,
> divide our feet into twelve inches, etc.  Four seems a lot more
> sensible... But then, I don't know much about how Terran cultures in
> general make their directions.  I know that places like Hawai'i develop
> directions like "seaward" and "inland" and so on.  Maybe there are places
> that use a 3-way deal like Klingon.  But hey, we have it, and I even get my
> "East", which I needed both for Jonah and the Tower of Babel translations.
> 
> ~mark

I too rolled my eyes when I read this. It appears that such
a coordinate system would be very inefficient, as it would
require a minimum of 3 numbers to describe a point on a map.
(For further clarification, one may look at how location of
Klin Zha pieces are demarked.) Our present system requires
only two. Four cardinal points in 2 dimensions yields only 2
numbers, whereas 3 cardinal points in 2 dimensions require 3
numbers.

However I think there may be a way out. It is noted that the
Hur'Iq invaded Qo'noS some thousand years ago and thanks to
that, tlhInganpu' "stole" warp drive as well as most of the
technology and science. It appears to mimic the situation in
Poul Anderson's "High Crusade". What Okrand is talking about
is the old way of doing things, prior to that invasion. Back
before Qo'noS and the Hol was corrupted.

Granted this is a bit of speculation. But the general idea
is that you have a rather primitive culture thrust into
cosmic arena. And at present in ST time, (which is our
future. No wonder tlhIngan don't worry about tense), there
is a bit of a nostalgia movement in the culture. Going back
to the original Hol,

Oh well just an idea.

Ben (DraQoS)


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