tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Oct 10 10:40:01 2000

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RE: math questions / sums



Ed writes:
> vaghVaD wa'vo' boq'qa'lI' 'ay', 'ay' ghoHmeH 'op mI' boq wa', 
> cha'maH chenbogh
 
De'vID:
: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that /-vo'/ (and also /-Daq/)
: apply only to places?  So you can't do /wa'vo'/, though I understand
: what you mean.

Well... "can't" may be too strong since we've only just now (after how many
years?) learned how to recite some simple math.  It's pretty clear that the
language of mathematics is unpredictable jargon, certainly in Klingon and
probably in most languages.  (Would you have guessed that the underlying
Klingon verb for the four basic arithmetical functions is {boq} "ally
(with)"?)  

But De'vID is correct in that {-vo'} and {-Daq} are not used metaphorically or
vaguely to translate such English phrases as "in my opinion", "on the way to",
"in fact", "on the other hand", "from this we learn", etc.  Whether or not you
can use them with numbers (particularly in a mathematical context) is, as yet,
unknown.  For instance, if you imagine numbers as points on a number line -
i.e. coordinates on the X, Y or Z spatial axes - then they could indeed refer
to virtual/imaginary "places" and thus *may* take {-vo'} and {-Daq}, but only
in certain contexts.  Or maybe not.

However, we also have words from the BoP Poster for "maximum" {'aqroS} and
"minimum" {rav} (lit. "floor"):

  'aqroS qughDo: pIvlob Hut vI' vagh 
  Maximum Cruising Speed - Warp 9.5

  Hung buv rav: patlh Hut
  Classified Level 9 and Above
  (lit. "security classification 'floor': rank/level nine" or
   "minimum security clearance: level 9")

Perhaps these terms are also used in math.  Perhaps not.  It's still too early
to tell.  I'm sure Maltz will, in time, reveal all sorts of mathematical,
engineering and scientific jargon -- he is a science officer, after all.  We
just have to be patient.

 


-- 
Voragh                       
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons


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