#klingon dictionary

[teamklingon]

tlhIngan Hol: CLIPPED KLINGON

1. CLIPPED KLINGON

The preceding grammatical sketch describes ``proper'' Klingon, that is, Klingon as it is taught in Klingon schools or to non-Klingons. In actual day-to-day use, however, spoken Klingon may vary somewhat from its ``proper'' form, usually by leaving some elements out. This abbreviated form of speaking, called Clipped Klingon by Klingon grammarians, is heard quite frequently in military contexts where quick ---rather than eloquent---communication is deemed a virtue. Probably for similar reasons, Clipped Klingon is used quite extensively in all walks of Klingon life. Some of the features of Clipped Klingon are described below.

1.1. Commands

In giving commands, the imperative prefix may be left off, leaving the bare verb.

Proper Klingon: {yIbaH} <Fire (the torpedoes)!> Clipped Klingon: {baH}

Proper Klingon: {wIy yIcha'} <Show the tactical display!> Clipped Klingon: {wIy cha'} ({wIy} <tactical display on monitor,> {cha'} <show, project>)

Proper Klingon: {He chu' yIghoS} <Follow a new course!> Clipped Klingon: {He chu' ghoS} ({He} <course,> {chu'} <be new,> {ghoS} <follow a course>)

When the object noun is critical, and what is to be done with that noun is obvious (or should be obvious) to the listener, that noun itself may serve as the command.

Proper Klingon: {chuyDaH yIlaQ} <Fire the thrusters!> Clipped Klingon: {chuyDaH} <Thrusters!> ({chuyDaH} <thrusters,> {laQ} <fire, energize>)

Proper Klingon: {HaSta yIcha'} <Show the visual display!> Clipped Klingon: {HaSta} <Visual (display)!> ({HaSta} <visual display on monitor,> {cha'} <show, project>)

Finally, other grammatical markers, particularly noun suffixes, may be left out of commands.

Proper Klingon: {jolpa'Daq yIjaH} <Go to the transport room!> Clipped Klingon: {jolpa' yIjaH} ({jolpa'} <transport room,> {-Daq} <locative,> {jaH} <go>)

It is not common, when noun suffixes are chopped, for the imperative prefix on the verb to be dropped as well.

FONT: The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand

(Remember: if you have some doubt, you can ask me about Klingon language)

[teamklingon]

tlhIngan Hol: SYNTAX IX

1.5. Comparatives and superlatives

The idea of something being more or greater than something else (comparative) is expressed by means of a construction which can be represented by the following formula:

A Q {law'} B Q {puS}

In this formula, A and B are the two things being compared and Q is the quality which is being measured. The two Klingon words in the formula are {law'} <be many> and {puS} <be few.> Thus, it says <A's Q is many, B's Q is few> or <A has more Q than B has> or <A is Q-er than B.>

Any verb expressing a quality or condition may fit into the Q slot.

{la' jaq law' yaS jaq puS} <The commander is bolder than the officer.> ({la'} <commander,> {jaq} <be bold,> {yaS} <officer>)

To express the superlative, that something is the most or the greatest of all, the noun {Hoch} <all> is used in the B position:

{la' jaq law' Hoch jaq puS} <The commander is boldest of all.>

In comparative and superlative constructions, the verb of quality ({jaq} <be bold> in the sentences above) must be said twice.

FONT: The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand

(Remember: if you have some doubt, you can ask me about Klingon language)

[teamklingon]

tlhIngan Hol: SYNTAX VIII

1.4. Questions

There are two types of questions: those which may be answered ``yes'' or ``no,'' and those which require explanations as answers. Yes/no questions are formed with the Type 9 suffix {-'a'} added to the verb. 

Appropriate answers to yes/no questions are: {HIja'} or {HISlaH} <yes> {ghobe'} <no>

The other type of question contains a question word: {chay'} <how?> {ghorgh} <when?> {nuq} <what?> {nuqDaq} <where?> {qatlh} <why?> {'ar} <how many? how much?> {'Iv} <who?> For {'Iv} <who?> and {nuq} <what?> the question word fits into the sentence in the position that would be occupied by the answer. For example:

{yaS legh 'Iv} <Who sees the officer?> {'Iv legh yaS} <Whom does the officer see?>

In the first question, it is the subject which is being asked about, so {'Iv} <who?> goes in the subject position, following the verb {legh} <he/she sees him/her.> In the second case, the object is being questioned, so the question word goes in the object position, before the verb. Similarly with {nuq} <what?:> {Duj ghoStaH nuq} <What is coming toward the ship?> ({Duj} <ship, vessel,> {ghoStaH} <it is proceeding toward it>) {nuq legh yaS} <What does the officer see?> Both {'Iv} and {nuq} are treated as nouns as far as the pronominal prefixes are concerned. That is, they are considered third person. {nughoStaH nuq} <What is coming toward us?> ({nughoStaH} <it is proceeding toward us>) {nuq Dalegh} <What do you see?> ({Dalegh} <you see it>) The word for <where?,> {nuqDaq,} is actually {nuq} <what?> followed by the suffix {-Daq} <locative>. As would any locative phrase, it comes at the beginning of the sentence. {nuqDaq So'taH yaS} <Where is the officer hiding?> ({So'taH} <he/she is hiding>) Three other question words likewise occur at the beginning of the sentence. {ghorgh Haw'pu' yaS} <When did the officer flee?> ({Haw'pu'} <he/she has fled>) {qatlh Haw'pu' yaS} <Why did the officer flee?> {chay' Haw'pu' yaS} <How did the officer flee?>

Note also: {chay' jura'} <What are your orders?> This is actually {chay'} <how?,> {jura'} <you command us;> thus, <How do you command us?> The question word {chay'} <how?> may be used as a one-word sentence meaning <How did this happen? What happened? What the---?> Finally, {'ar} <how many? how much?> follows the noun to which it refers. It can never follow a noun with a plural suffix ({-pu', -mey, -Du';}. {Haw'pu' yaS 'ar} <How many officers fled?> ({Haw'pu'} <they fled,> {yaS} <officer>) {nIn 'ar wIghaj} <How much fuel do we have?> ({nIn} <fuel,> {wIghaj} we <have it>)

FONT: The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand

(Remember: if you have some doubt, you can ask me about Klingon language)

[teamklingon]

tlhIngan Hol: SYNTAX V

1.2.4. Purpose clauses

If an action is being done in order to accomplish something, or for the purpose of accomplishing something, the verb describing what is to be accomplished ends with the Type 9 suffix {-meH,} which may be translated <for, for the purpose of, in order to.> The purpose clause always precedes the noun or verb whose purpose it is describing.

{ja'chuqmeH rojHom neH jaghla'} <The enemy commander[[jaghla'=>jagh la']] wishes a truce (in order) to confer.>

The phrase {ja'chuqmeH rojHom} <a truce (in order) to confer> is the object of the verb {neH} <he/she wants it;> the subject is {jaghla'} <enemy commander.> The object is a noun {rojHom} <truce> [[jaghla'=>jagh la']] preceded by the purpose clause {ja'chuqmeH} <for the purpose of conferring> or <in order to confer.> (The verb is made up of {ja'} <tell,> {-chuq} <each other;> thus, <confer> is <tell each other.>) {jagh luHoHmeH jagh lunejtaH} <They are searching for the enemy in order to kill him/her.> Here the purpose clause is {jagh luHoHmeH} <in order for them to kill the enemy,> which is made up of the object noun {jagh} <enemy> preceding the verb {luHoHmeH} <in order for them to kill him/her> ({lu-} <they--him/her,> {HoH} <kill,> {-meH} <for>). It describes the purpose of the verb {lunejtaH} <they are searching for him/her> ({lu-} <they--him/her,> {nej} <seek, search for,> {-taH} <continuous>). Note that, just as in compound sentences, the object noun {jagh} <enemy> occurs before each verb for which it is the object. Thus, somewhat more literally, the sentence may be translated <In order to kill the enemy, they are searching for the enemy.> Furthermore, just as in compound sentences, the second of two identical nouns may be replaced by a pronoun or, if the context, is clear, left out altogether.

{jagh luHoHmeH ghaH lunejtaH} {jagh luHoHmeH lunejtaH} <They are searching for the enemy in order to kill him/her.>

FONT: The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand

(Remember: if you have some doubt, you can ask me about Klingon language)

[teamklingon]

tlhIngan Hol: VERBS IV

2. Verb suffixes (III) 

2.3. Type 3: Change

Suffixes of this type indicate that the action described by the verb involves a change of some kind from the state of affairs that existed before the action took place.

{-choH} <change in state, change in direction>

{maDo'choH} <we are becoming lucky, we are undergoing a turn of luck> ({Do'} <be lucky>) {ghoSchoH} <he/she is beginning to go (somewhere)> ({ghoS} <go>)

The implication of the second example is that he or she was going either nowhere or somewhere else sometime before the phrase was uttered. Note that the translation of this suffix may be English <become> or <begin to.>

{-qa'} <resume>

Using this suffix implies that an action had been taking place, then it stopped, and then it began again. {vInejqa'} <I am resuming the search, I am searching for him/her again> ({nej} <search>)

2.4. Type 4: Cause

{-moH} <cause>

Adding this suffix to a verb indicates that the subject is causing a change of condition or causing a new condition to come into existence.

{tIjwI'ghom vIchenmoH} <I form a boarding party> ({tIjwI'ghom} <boarding party,> {chen} <take form, take shape>) This sentence might also be translated <I cause a boarding party to be formed.> {HIQoymoH} <let me hear (something)> ({Qoy} <hear>) More revealingly, this sentence could be translated <cause me to hear (something).> Note that this sentence would not be used in asking permission to hear; it is a direct command. Normally, the best English translation of a verb with {-moH} does not contain the word <cause.> For example, {chenmoH} <he/she makes, creates> could be translated <he/she causes to take shape> ({chen} <take form, take shape>), but this is an awkward English phrase.

FONT: The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand

(Remember: if you have some doubt, you can ask me about Klingon language)

[cloudsoveravalir]

LOOK WHAT MY PARENTS FOUND WHEN THEY WERE CLEANING THE GARAGE ^O^ *happy face and grabby hands*

[moved-to--lana-del-ramiel]

Can you direct me to any good resources for someone trying to learn Klingon in earnest, rather than just trying to show off to their nerdy friends? Most of the sites I've come across seem to teach a few stock phrases but nothing about the construction and rules of the language.

I recommend The Klingon Dictionary.

[thatdamnnerd-blog]

This is the entirety of the non-fiction and Python-oriented library I'm bringing to college (fiction library will be posted tomorrow:)

Volume One of Principia Mathematica by Russell and Whitehead (I don't own the other volumes as they are quite expensive and take time to get delivered.)

History of Madness (a complete translation, btw) by Michael Foucault (yeah I have some analytic books in my library. :p)

The two Nietzche books I actually OWN (obviously not the only two I've read): The Antichrist and Beyond Good and Evil.

The Essential Dialogues of Plato the first bit of philosophy I ever read.

An extra copy of Plato's Laws for some reason.

Situating Semantics edited by Michael O'Rourke and Corey Washington (a collection of fascinating essays on the work of John Perry complete with a response by the man himself.)

The complete script books for Monty Python's Flying Circus.

My Arabic to English/English to Arabic dictionary.

And my Klingon Dictionary (with both English to Klingon and Klingon to English).

I'm not sure why I'm bringing so weird a collection of books, but there it is.

(For the record: most of my reading material is digital. For instance, the vast majority of things I've read in philosophy and other academic disciplines has come from journal articles which can be downloaded from any number of places (JSTOR, Blackwell-Synergy, etc.))