Klingon Grammar Addenda

3. Nouns

1. Don't assume that any naked verb can be used as a noun, just because some can. [HQ v3n3p11]

2. Don't try to break compound nouns into parts and use the parts either alone or in other compounds. [KLI: A. Anderson, 4/13/97, Re: SopDaq]

3. Don't coin new compound words from existing parts. [KLI: D. Trimboli, 11/30/96, Re: KLBC: Re: This message is too long]
   Commentary

1. In reference to inanimate objects, this suffix means "thing which does" (joqwI') or "thing which is used for" (nanwI'). [TKD, KGT]

2. In reference to animate beings, this suffix means "one who does" (baHwI') or "one who is" (pujwI'). [TKD]
   Commentary

These suffixes are not simply equivalent to tIn/mach, but create a new concept, often requiring an entirely different English word to translate, eg. loD / loDHom "man /boy", bIQ/bIQ'a' "water/ocean". [TKD]
Commentary

The plural of porgh is probably porghmey (and that of lom, lommey); most likely, -Du' is used only for body parts, not the body itself. [ KLI: R. Stewart, 11/16/97, Re: KLBC tlhIngan yot 'ay' cha'DIch; KLI: R. Stewart, 11/26/96; Re: KLBC Plurals]
Commentary

A "being capable of using language" must be a true living being (not a talking computer, for example) and must have an inherent capacity for speech (which may not be manifested, in the case of infants or someone who has lost the power of speech). [KLI: S. Boozer, 7/12/98, Anecdotal Okrand]

1. -Daq and -vo' are strictly locative; they refer only to motion, or location. They can't be used in other situations in which English uses "to", "in" or "from" in a metaphorical sense (eg. "I translate from English to Klingon"; you can't use -Daq for "to" or -vo' for "from"). [HQ v8n1p7]

2. Some prepositional concepts in English are verbs in Klingon: eg. tlhej for "with", both in the sense of "accompanying" and "doing something together with", eg. Dargh vItlhutlh 'ej mutlhej torgh "Torg drinks tea with me." [HQ v2n4p18 ].

3. It seems that a noun with a Type 5 suffix can modify a single noun (as opposed to whole sentences), eg. ghe''orDaq luSpet "a black hole in the Netherworld". [PK, BOP]
   Commentary

4. Verbs of motion have different meanings when used with and without -Daq and object prefixes:
   
   • X(-Daq) vI-Y "I Y to X" (-Daq is optional);
   • X-vo' vI-Y "I Y away from X";
   • X-Daq jI-Y "I Y at/on/in X".
     [HQ v7n4p8]
   Commentary
5. The use of suffix -'e': Commentary

1. This construction doesn't just show possession, but is also used as the grammatical Genitive. That is, it forms phrases that are equivalent to English adjectives of origin romuluS HIq, composition peQ chem, or location tlhIngan wo'. [HQ v3n3p6]
   Commentary

2. Multiple N-N-N(-N...) formations are allowed. eg. SuvwI' qa' patlh "a warrior's level of spiritual attainment" [S33]

3. Noun apposition, different from the N-N construction, is allowed, eg. DuraS be'nI'pu' be'etor lurSa' je "Duras's sisters, Betor and Lursa" [S26; HQ v3n1p5]
   Commentary

4. Nouns representing locative prepositional concepts, such as retlh, bIng, botlh, etc., when used with pronouns, follow the pronoun in a N-N formation, and the pronoun suffixes are not used, eg. jIH retlhDaq "alongside me", not *retlhwIjDaq [KGT, p. 24]

© 1999 Terrence Donnelly