[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: ben

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon Word of the Day for Monday, November 30, 2020

Klingon word: 	ben
Part of speech: noun
Definition: 	years ago, years old
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cha'vatlh ben HIq vItlhutlh 
I will drink Two Century Old Ale. (PK)

loSmaH ben jIboghpu' 
I am 40 years old.
I was born 40 years ago. (st.k 12/12/1996)

vagh SanID ben buDbe' wamwI'pu'. 
5,000 years ago, hunters were not lazy. (st.k 11/1999)

cha' vatlh ben 
200 years ago (HQ 8.3:3)

nen rav:  chorgh ben 
AGES 8 to Adult  (MKE)

'op ben pa' Dab ngan 'ej chep 
It was alive and prosperous once. (PB)

wa’maH ben loDnI’wI’ 
My 10-year-old brother (Lieven < MO, qepHom’a’ 2016)

(st.klingon, 12/12/1996):  The word {ben} can be used to mean "years old", but in Klingon, one doesn't say "I am X years old".  The phrase {loSmaH ben jIH}, if anything, would mean "40-year-old me" or the like. It would parallel {cha'vatlh ben HIq} "Two Century Old Wine".  "I am 40 years old" would be expressed as: {loSmaH ben jIboghpu'}.  This is "I was born 40 years ago".  As is normal in Klingon sentences, the time element (in this case, {loSmaH ben} "40 years ago") comes first.

(IMO, HQ 8.3:3):  With longer time periods, such as a century ({vatlh DIS poH}), millennium ({SaD DIS poH}), or a period of 10,000 years (myriad, perhaps) ({netlh DIS poH}), the words {ret} or {pIq} may be used in place of {poH}, e.g., {cha' vatlh DIS poH} "two centuries", but {cha' vatlh DIS ret} "two centuries ago".  The phrase {cha' vatlh ben} would mean "200 years ago".  The choice of construction depends on what is being emphasized: in this case, the total number of centuries (two) or the total number of years (200).

 PUN: 
Hebrew *ben* "son, child" as in *Ani ben X* "I am X [years] old" (males), *Hu ben X* "He is  X [years] old"? (Igor/Aryeh 2/2006)

N.B. Phrases like *{ben law'} "many years ago, long ago", *{ben law'qu'} "long, long ago", and *{ben puS} "not long ago" are sometimes seen on the Mailing List.

SEE:
nem 		years from now (n)
ret 		period of time ago (n)
pIq  		period of time from now (n)

SEE ALSO:
DIS 		year (n)
bogh  		be born (v)

[Feel free to mention any relevant vocabulary or usage notes from
 the last year or so. I’ve fallen woefully behind in updating my notes.]
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons