From: Marc Okrand <MarcOkrand@msn.com>
Newsgroups: msn.onstage.startrek.expert.okrand
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 1997 12:25 AM
Subject: Re: Weights and Measures


Neal <neal413@email.msn.com> wrote in article
<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 <juch>.

(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")

[<jav> "six"; <'ujmey>, plural of <'uj>, a unit of measure; 'ab "has a
length of"; SuvwI' "warrior"]

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"

[<vagh> "five"; vI'ab "I have a length of"]

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"

[<wej> "three"; naQjej "spear"]

(3) The verb <juv> "measure" refers to the action of somebody who is taking
a measurement:

 naQjej vIjuv "I measure the spear"

[<naQjej> "spear"; <vIjuv> "I measure it"]


(4) 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.

(5) A common unit of weight is <cheb>, which is around five pounds (2.25 kg
or so).

I'll have to do some more digging to find out about area.

[[eof]]