[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: ngI'

[Steven Boozer]

qunnoQ HoD:
>> >>  wejvatlh SochmaH vagh SaD cheb'a'mey ngI' Duj[] 
>> >>  Mass: 8.7 KT [kilotons] (KBoP)
>>>
>>> all this means <<Mass [of a B'rel-class Bird-of-Prey]>> ?

Lieven:
>> it means "the ship has a weight of threehundred seventy five thousand
>> big-chebs"

Qov:
> Notice that ngI' has the zero prefix there, because Duj (ship) is an 'oH
> (it)--a third person subject.

Other "measurement verbs" are listed in KGT, but this is a good place to go over them.

juv 		measure (v)

st.k (10/22/97): "refers to the action of somebody who is taking a measurement" 

Saw' 		have a depth of (v)
muq 		have a volume of (v)

juch  	have a width of (v) 
'ab 		have a length of (v)
'aD 		have a length of (v)

st.klingon (10/22/1997):  There are two words used for length: {'aD} and {'ab}. Both of these can be translated as "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 table top. {'ab}, on the other hand, is used for (potentially) longish, skinnyish things (for example, spears) and also for heights.

Some Klingon units of measurement to use with these verbs:

tlho'ren 		unit of volume (n)

(st.k 10/22/97):  The only unit of volume I'm aware of is {tlho'ren}. I'm not exactly sure how much one {tlho'ren} is, but it seems to be in the quart/liter range.

cheb			unit of weight (n)

st.k (10/22/97):  A common unit of weight is {cheb}, which is around five pounds (2.25 kg or so).

law  			degree (unit of measure for angles; archaic) (n)
lawrI'  		degree (unit of measure) (n)

De'vID (11/16/2014 < qepHom 2014):  Traditionally (meaning long ago), angles were measured using a unit called a {law}. Using the decimal counting system, there were 243 {lawmey} in a {gho} (circle), and each angle in a {ra'Duch tIQ} (equilateral triangle) had 40.5 {lawmey}. These days, Klingons reckon angles the way most of the galaxy does. The unit of measure (degree) is a {lawrI'} (some people say {law chu'}, though that's used less and less), and there are 360 {lawrI'mey} in a {gho} and 60 {lawrI'mey} in each angle of a {ra'Duch tIQ}. 

'uj  			uj (unit of linear measure, app. 35 cm.) KGT
qelI'qam  		kellicam (unit of measure, app. 2 km.) 
loghqam  		unit of measure (app. 1.25 light years) (n)

(st.k 2/03/1999):  An {'uj} is a unit of linear measurement, roughly 35 centimeters; an {'uj'a'}, or "big *uj*" ... is nine times as long, or nine *ujes*, somewhat over three meters. 

We have examples of some - but not all - of the measurement verbs which you may want to study:

naQjej vIjuv 
I measure the spear. (st.k)

wej 'ujmey 'ab 'oy'naQ 
Painstiks are a little over one meter long (S32)

jav 'ujmey 'ab SuvwI' 
the warrior has a length of six ujs
the warrior stands six ujs
the warrior is six ujs tall (st.k)

vagh 'ujmey vI'ab 
I have a length of five ujs 
I'm five ujs tall (st.k)

wej 'uj 'ab naQjej 
the spear has a length of three uj
the spear measures three uj
the spear is three uj long (st.k)

loSmaH jav vI' Soch loS 'uj 'ab meH 
Bridge Height: 16.28 M. (KBoP)

HIvtaHvIS toQDuj cha'vatlh wejmaH Soch vI' vagh chorgh 'uj 'ab 'oH 
Attack Formation Height: 82.75 M. (KBoP)

qughtaHvIS toQDuj HutmaH vI' jav wa' 'uj 'ab 'oH 
Cruise Formation Height: 31.56 M. (KBoP)

SaqtaHvIS toQDuj wa'vatlh loS vI' jav chorgh 'uj 'ab 'oH 
Landing Formation Height: 36.46 M. (KBoP)

wejvatlh loSmaH loS vI' vagh wej 'uj 'aD Duj 
Length: 120 M. (KBoP)

jabbI'ID pupHa': Qapchu'meH chuq: chorgh vI' chorgh loghqammey 
Medium to Low Resolution - Effective Range - 11 Light Years. (KBoP)

jabbI'ID pup: Qapchu'meH 'aqroS chuq: cha' vI' chorgh loghqammey 
High Resolution - Maximum Effective Range - 3.5 Light Years.  (KBOP)

chorghSaD qelI'qam HIvchuq'e' vInoH 
Estimating attack range in 8,000 kellicams. (ST5)


And, finally, also note the following qualities:

woch 		be tall (in stature) (v)
run 		be short (in stature) (v)

tIq 		be long/be lengthy/extended (of an object) (v)
jen 		be high (v)
'eS  		be low (v)

'ugh  	be heavy (in weight)(v)
tIS 		be light (in weight) (v)

jaQ  		be deep (v)
jaQHa'  	be shallow (v)

Hop 		be remote, be far (v) 
Sum  		be near, be nearby (v)

nI' 		be long, be lengthy (in duration) (v)
ngaj  	be short (in duration) (v)

I may have missed a couple, but you get the idea.


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons