Yahren

A yahren is a Colonial measurement of time, analogous to an Earth year. The plural form is usually the same as the singular, "yahren", although "yahrens" is also used for the Colonial equivalent of "years" in some episodes.

Year vs. Yahren Interchangeability

There are times where Colonials (and their descendants from disconnected settlements) tend to use the word "year" in lieu of "yahren," such as:

1. Adar uses the term year in his discussions with Adama, prior to the commencement of the Battle of Cimtar ^{(TOS: "Saga of a Star World")}.
   • Adama: Sir, did Count Baltar suggest that our forces sit here totally defenseless?
     Adar: My friend, we are on a peace mission – the first peace man has known in a thousand years.
2. Starbuck uses the term after being chastised by Boomer for his disparaging comments regarding Beta Company on Gemini ^{(TOS: "Saga of a Star World")}.
   • Ten thousand light-years from nowhere, our planet shot to pieces, people starving, and I’m gonna get us in trouble?
3. When Cassiopeia informs Starbuck about the reason she was mistreated by members of the Otori Sect on Gemini ^{(TOS: "Saga of a Star World")}.
   • I’m designated a socialator.  It’s an honorable profession, practiced with the blessings of the elders for over four thousand years.
   • They don’t believe in physical contact between genders except when sanctified by the priests during High Worship of the Sunstorm, which comes once only every seven years!
4. When Serina reacts to Apollo's concern about the ersatz Warriors wearing ill-fitting uniforms during a shuttle ride to Carillon ^{(TOS: "Saga of a Star World")}.
   • He probably hasn’t worn that in years.  Besides, the guest of honor looks absolutely delicious.
5. Robber uses the term when discussing the Silent One ^{(TOS: "The Long Patrol")}.
   • It’s a prisoner my father told me about years ago.  The Enforcers found him driftin’ in space.  He never said a word.  He just spent all his time drawin’ those pictures.  Why, is it important?
6. Siress Belloby uses the term when declaring her terms for her energizer, making it the last known use of the word in the Original Series ^{(TOS: "The Magnificent Warriors")}.
   • Oh, Adama.  After all these years, I think that should be obvious.  I want you.

As the series progressed, "yahren" became consistently used instead of "year." As such, it is the default term to denote the Colonial's unit of time in Battlestar Wiki's Original Series articles.

Notes

• Within some fan circles, a yahren is considered to be around two-thirds (2/3) the length of an Earth year, thus helping to explain the relative longevity of Colonial people compared to Terran humans; in "War of the Gods, Part II", Adama claims that the average human lifespan, "Cylons permitting," is about 200 yahren. This reasoning is picked up in Richard Hatch's sequel novels. The glossary of terms in the first novel, Armaggedon, reads "yahren--equivalent to a year; two hundred fifty days."
• Yahren might be based on the German word Jahren, which is pronounced the same, though it means "Years." Jahr would be the singular form.
• The original script for "Greetings From Earth" has a key that says a centon is a minute, a centar is an hour, a secton is a week, and a yahren is a year.
• Galactica 1980 eschews the term yahren, opting for "year" in conversation.

Usage in the Re-imagined Series

• In the Re-imagined Series, time appears to be measured by the Colonials as is done on Earth with the term year. Since a year is considered the time it takes for the real-world Earth to revolve once around the sun, the use of "year" is confusing, given that the Twelve Colonies consist of several Earth-type worlds that may orbit a sun or series of suns, or even exist in adjacent solar systems and so have revolution times that may differ dramatically. The Fleet stays on New Caprica for 380 "days" before the Cylon fleet arrives, and this is deemed to be approximately a year.
• Curiously, a brief mention of "yahren" appears in the documents visible at Armistice Station in the Miniseries. This should be treated as an homage to the Original Series, and not be taken too seriously, as the prop department has produced errors in some other documents shown on screen.

See also

• Thousand Yahren War
• List of terms (TOS)

Original Series definition: unit of time akin to a "year" (see: Yahren)

Original Series definition: a title of nobility (e.g. Count Iblis)

Original Series definition: a title of nobility, typically ascribed to a civilian of the female gender (e.g. Siress Tinia, Siress Blassie)

Galactica 1980 definition: a power source (see: energizer); Dillon voices his concern that the energizer feeding power to the invisibility field hiding their Vipers needs to be recharged before the ships are rendered visible ^{(1980: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I")}