[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: nem

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: 	nem
Part of speech: 	noun
Definition: 	years from now
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AFAIK never used in canon.

SEE:
ben 		years ago (n)

cha'vatlh ben HIq vItlhutlh 
I will drink Two Century Old Ale. (PK)

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.k 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).


SEE ALSO:
pIq 		period of time from now (n)
ret 		period of time ago (n)
DIS 		year (n)


--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary or notes from the last 
    year or two. I’ve fallen woefully behind in updating my files.