Newsgroups: msn.onstage.startrek.expert.okrand
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 1997 12:25 AM
Subject: Re: Weights and Measures
Neal
<01bcc14d$0a6401a0$6a492399@dtorvtwg>...
> Marc:
>
> In KGT you give us some great words - Saw' (have a depth of), 'aD (have a
> length of), muq (have a volume of), and ngI' (have a weight of).
>
> So can I say *vagh 'uj vI'aD* to mean 'I am five *'uj*s tall?
>
> I can certainly say *jav 'uj 'aD QongDaqwIj* and *cha' qelI'qam Saw'
> ngengvam*. But what words do we use to indicate the volume or weight of
> something?
>
> How about area?
>
> Qermaq
>
We don't know a whole lot about Klingon weights and measures, but here's a
little more information that may be helpful.
(1) The word for "have a width of" is
(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
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."
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"
(3) The verb
a measurement:
naQjej vIjuv "I measure the spear"
(4) The only unit of volume I'm aware of is
sure how much one
range.
(5) A common unit of weight is
or so).
I'll have to do some more digging to find out about area.
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