D'ni timekeeping

From MYSTlore

Like humans, the D'ni had advanced technology to measure and compare different times and dates.

[edit] Units

For the MYSTlore page about converting dates between hahrtee and years, see MYSTlore:Years and hahrtee.

A D'ni timekeeping device, from Aitrus's map. Presumably, the five segments represent each of the gahrtahvotee.

Gehn's timepiece given to him by Anna; it showed both D'ni and surface time.

Because they resided in a cavern, the D'ni did not relate any of their date- or time-related units to astronomical or other physical phenomena, unlike the humans, whose solar year is based on Earth's rotation around the sun, and whose day is defined by Earth's rotation around its own axis.

Instead, the D'ni units could be considered arbitrary.

Cyan^[1] as well as the DRC^[2] describe the units as follows:

The D'ni timekeeping system is very different than the system used on Earth's surface. Below is an explanation of some of the major differences and terms.

• The D'ni's largest amount of time is an "hahr", roughly equivalent to one Earth year.
• The D'ni "hahr" is divided into 10 equal segments called "vaileetee". One "vailee" is roughly equivalent to one Earth month.
• A "vailee" is further divided into 29 "yahrtee". One "yahr" is equal to about 30 hours and 14 minutes of surface time. (1.26 Earth days) There are 290 "yahrtee" in one "hahr."
• "Yahrtee" are further divided into 5 equal segments called "gahrtahvotee". One "gahrtahvo" is equal to about 6 hours and 3 minutes of surface time.
• "Gahrtahvotee" can be further divided into 25 equal segments called "tahvotee". One "tahvo" is equal to about 14.5 minutes of surface time.
• "Tahvotee" are further divided into 25 equal segments called "gorahntee". One "gorahn" is equal to about 35 seconds of surface time.^[3]
• "Gorahntee" are further divided into 25 equal segments called "prorahntee". One "prorahn" is equal to about 1.5 seconds of surface time.

[edit] Vaileetee

Each hahr is comprised of the following ten vaileetee:

1. Leefo (April 21st to May 27th)
2. Leebro (May 28th to July 3rd)
3. Leesahn (July 3rd to August 8th)
4. Leetar (August 9th and September 14th)
5. Leevot (September 14th to October 20th)
6. Leevofo (October 21st to November 26th)
7. Leevobro (November 26th to January 1st)
8. Leevosahn (January 2nd to February 7th)
9. Leevotar (February 7th to March 15th)
10. Leenovoo (March 16th to April 21st)

[edit] Conversion

Main article: D'ni timekeeping conversion algorithms

[edit] Journal dating

In addition, a shorthand form for dates had been in frequent use, particularly in journals, with a hahr, vailee, yahr format (i.e. roughly year, month, day). The hahr omits the hahrtee fahrah (roughly century, i.e. 625 decimal or 100 pentovigesimal years), as also common for short human date. Confusion frequently arises as the hahrtee fahrahtee due to the difference between are actually counted in base 25 (as opposed to base 10), as typical of D'ni mathematics. Therefore, when the full hahr representation in decimal, it is not correct to merely omit the first two digits and consider the result part of a proper journal date.

[edit] Holidays

• D'ni New Year - Leefo 1 (April 21)
• First Feast of the Maker - Lenovoo 10 (March 27) (Pre-earth celebration)
• The Common Library Opened - Leefo 12 (May 5)
• Second Feast of the Maker - Leebro 20 (June 21) (Pre-earth celebration)
• The Day of Dancing - Leetar 21 (September 3)
• First Arrival of the Great King - Leevot 12 (September 28)
• Third Feast of the Maker - Leevofo 18 (November 11) (Pre-earth celebration)
• Coronation of King Kerath - Leevofo 27 (November 23)

References