29-May-84 11:13:05-EDT,6435;000000000001 Return-Path: Received: from RU-BLUE.ARPA by RUTGERS.ARPA with PUP; 29 May 84 11:12:59 EDT Return-Path: <@RUTGERS.ARPA:princeton!tilt!smw@seismo.ARPA> Received: from RUTGERS.ARPA by RU-BLUE.ARPA with PUP; 24 May 84 18:07:23 EDT Received: from seismo.ARPA by RUTGERS.ARPA with TCP; 24 May 84 15:22:31 EDT Return-Path: Received: by seismo.ARPA; Thu, 24 May 84 14:51:20 EDT From: princeton!tilt!smw@seismo.ARPA Message-Id: <8405241851.AA09620@seismo.ARPA> Date: 24 May 1984 14:36-EDT To: rutgers!jaffe@seismo.ARPA Subject: Learn to speak klingonaase in one easy lesson! ReSent-date: 29 May 84 11:12:28 EDT ReSent-from: Saul ReSent-to: sf-lovers-request@RU-BLUE.ARPA Current knowledge of klingonaase is limited to the phrases dropped in John Ford's "The Final Reflection." Note the lower-case: the Klingons don't capitalize language names. The suffix -aase does not quite equate to -ese; it has a connotation of worldview, or world-manipulating tool. Klingonaase is a sparse language, like Chinese in that 'a' and 'the' are absent or optional, and subjects and verbs can be omitted when context renders them unnecessary. There is an even briefer verbal shorthand used as "battle language." There are not sufficient examples to deduce the rules of grammar and verb conjugation. The plural suffix, however, is -i, as in kleoni, komerexi. Klingonaase vocabulary: federazhon The United Federation of Planets. (yuQjIjDUvI'/veDereySon) fedegonaase UFP standard language, whatever that is. (??/veDeghoneySe) gagny Damned. (??/ghaghnIy) g'dayt Undefined adjectives (gerunds?), roughly equivalent (??/gh'Deyt) g'daya to "damned," but probably stronger. (??/gh'Deya) kaase Hand. (ghop/qeySe) Kahlesste kaase! "Kahless' hand," an oath referring to the story of the Emperor Kahless, who died with his hand tied to the controls of his ship in a battle against Romulans. (qeylIS ghop/qeylISte qeySe) kai Hail, or "long live". Used often, as "Kai ". (??/qay) kai kassai The same, emphasized. "Kai kassai, Klingon!" (??/qay qaSay) khesterex Literally, "the structure which dies." (??/QeStereQ) khest To screw up. (Qagh/Qest) khesterex thath Screwed up situation. (??/QeStereQ tlhatlh) kherx A screw-up. (Qagh/QerQ) parkhest Damn! (??/parQest) khest'n Apparently interchangable adjectives, roughly equal (??/Qest'n) khest't to "damned." (??/Qest't) kleon Enemy, or opponent. Same, to a Klingon. (jagh/tlhIyon) klin That which is Klingon. One can be 'full of klin,' (tlhIngan/tlhIn) i.e., a worthy Klingon. Klingon Klingon. Noun only, I think. (tlhIngan/tlhInhan) Klinzhai The Klingon homeworld -- not called 'Klingon'! (Qo'nos/tlhInSay) klingonaase The Klingonese language. (tlhInhan Hol/tlhInganeySe) komerex Literally, "the structure which grows." Overtones (qomereQ) of "path," or even "Tao." komerex Klingon The Klingon Empire. (tlhIngan wo'/qomereQ tlhIngan) komerex zha See 'zha' below. (The perpetual game - life) (??/qomereQ Sa) kuve Servitor; alternative translation is slave. (toy'wI'/quve) kuvekhestat Worthless slave(s). See 'khest' above. (toy'wI' lo'laHbe'/quveQestat) kuveleta Half-slave; an insult. Klingons mix races freely, (??/quveleta) but have cultural prejudices against some. kuvesa tokhesa "I serve willingly." jItoy'qang/quvesa toQesa) tharkuve Deaf slave, unable to overhear secret conferences. (??/tlharquve) tharavul Vulcan servitor, lobotomized to remove the Vulcan's (??/tlharavul) telepathic powers. This is done voluntarily. nal Negating word -- as, "Nal komerex, khesterex." (??/nal) straave, straav' Slave. (toy'wI'/Streyve, Streyv') tokhe straav' Willing slave. Just about the worst insult one can (??/toQe Streyv') call a Klingon. tai Worthy, honored. (??/taI) epetai-zana Honored and exalted one. (??/epetaI Sana) tai-kleon Worthy opponent. See 'kleon' above. (??/tai tlhIyon) Various forms of 'tai' are used to separate a given name from a line name. Distinctions between these are not clear, and all are honorifics added to the name during a career. Examples: Krenn sutai-Rustazh (Qenn SutaI ruStaS) Kethas epetai-Khemara (qelthaS epetaI qemara) Mabli vestai-Galann (mablI veStaI ghalan) Kezhke zantai-Adion (qeSqe SantaI adayon) Khidri tai-Gensa (qeyDrey tai ghensa) Note: Given name starting with 'K' is an honorific, of unspecified use. When Vrenn was promoted to Captain, he was able to change his name to Krenn. teskas Compliments, praise. (??/teSqaS) teskas tal'tai-kleon Compliments to a worthy opponent. (??/tesqaS tal'taI tlhIyon) tokhe Willing. See 'straave' and 'kuve' above. (??/toQe) vird'dakaase Disruptor. Literally, "shake-till-falls-apart tool." (??/vIrD'DaqeySe) Note the -aase (or -kaase) suffix. zan Neutral title of respect; roughly equal to Mister. (??/San) Don't recall seeing it used to women. zha Game. (Quj/Sa) klin zha The Klingon game (in several variations). (Quj tlhIngan/tlhIn Sa) klin zha kinta The Klingon game with living pieces. (??/tlhIn Sa qInta) hum zha The Human game, chess. (Quj Human/Hum Sa) rom zha The Romulan game, latrunculo. (Quj romuluSngan/rom Sa) komerex zha The perpetual game -- life. See 'komerex' above. (qomereQ Sa) zha riest'n [It was a] pleasant game. (??/Sa rIyst'n) There are several usages from which I can't reliably deduce what means what, and why. These follow: sa tel'ren Two out of three. One can't assume sa=2 and ren=3. (??/Sa tel'ren) humanai kuvest' Either "human slave" or "slave of the humans." (??/Humanay quvest') tokhest' From context, "if he is willing or not." Your guess (??/toQeSt') is as good as mine how much of that is in the -st', and how much is implied. komerex tel khesterex This was an interjection, probably "grow or die." (??/qomereQ tel QeStereQ) And that is all the klingonaase codified at present. I'm not certain how closely this vocabulary corresponds to the dialogue in ST:TMP; any major discrepancy is explainable by the fact that they were speaking the "battle language" dialect in those scenes. Read John Ford's "The Final Reflection" to see these phrases in action, and to learn a measure of healthy respect for the komerex klingon. -- Stewart Wiener :-) "Read and weep as did Alexander Princeton Univ. EECS :-) when he beheld the glories of princeton!tilt!smw :-) Egypt." --G. Roddenberry