Klingon Grammar Addenda

6. Syntax

1. Some complex sentences in English will be rendered as two or more simpler sentences in Klingon [HQ v3n1p3; HQ v4n2p5]

2. Impersonal sentences ("It" sentences, where "it" doesn't refer to anything specific) seem to be allowed, eg. SIS "It's raining" [KLI: S. Boozer, 7/12/98, Anecdotal Okrand]

1. The conjunction 'ej merely indicates the (simultaneous?) occurence of two events; there is no time sequence implied, eg. mabom 'ej matlhutlh "We sing and we drink", not *"We sing and then drink" [MSN, 3/20/98]

2. Sequence seems to be indicated by the lack of a conjunction, eg. bogh tlhInganpu', SuvwI'pu' moj, Hegh "Klingons are born, become warriors, then die."; beyHom bey bey'a' jachtaH "They are letting out an ever-louder howl." [TKW, p5; S31]

3. The "sentence" conjunctions can be used with verbal phrases as well as complete sentences, eg. SuvmeH 'ej charghmeH bogh tlhInganpu' [TKW, p 5, et al.]

1. You can mark the head noun of a relative phrase (subject or object of the -bogh verb) with -'e': HoD'e' qIpta'bogh yaS vIlegh "I see the captain who was hit by the officer" (not "I see the officer who hit the captain"). [HQ v1n3p4]

2. You may be able to use any Type 5 suffix to mark the head noun of a relative phrase: meQtaHbogh qachDaq Suv qoH neH "Only a fool fights in a burning house". [TKW, p.111; S99]
   Commentary

3. Headless relatives (i.e., relative -bogh words with no expressed subject or object, eg. *SuHeghbogh "You who are dying") are probably not allowed. [FAQ; HQ v1n3p5]

1. Verbs with -meH can modify nouns as well as verbs, eg. pe'meH taj "cutting knife". They are able to take actual subjects and/or objects. [HQ v7n3p6; HQ v7n2p14; KGT, p.63]
   Commentary

2. Such verbs can be used to express Sentences as Subjects, eg. nargh qaSuchmeH 'eb "the opportunity to visit you has passed". [HQ v7n2p14]
   Commentary

3. Verbs with -meH must take verb prefixes, if only the 3-rd person zero-prefix, when appropriate. [HQ v8n2p12]
   Commentary

1. Adverbs with 'e' come after the object sentence and before the 'e', eg. paw Duj wej 'e' vIlegh "I haven't seen the ship arrive yet". [HQ v1n2p11]

2. The object pronoun 'e' can refer to an entire previous sentence: 'e' neHbe' vavwI' "That (i.e., some previous sentence) isn't what my father wanted" [ST6].

3. The verb jatlh can take an object, but only a noun describing a language (eg. tlhIngan Hol) or speech event (eg. SoQ). For reported speech, the quotation is not the object of jatlh, and jatlh will take the "no object" verb prefixes, eg. jIghung jIjatlh "I say I am hungry" (literally "I am hungry. I say (that)"). [MSN, 6/30/97]

4. The only true verbs of speech are jatlh and ja'. English allows many verbs to be used as verbs of speech, but in Klingon, these would be multiple sentences, eg. jIjach. jIjatlh yImev "I shouted 'Stop'!" (literally "I shout. I speak. 'Stop!'"). [HQ v7n4p4]

1. We have no indirect question/relative adverbs and thus no way to directly express Questions as Objects, and must recast them. [HQ v6n4p12; KLI: S. Boozer, 7/12/98, Anecdotal Okrand]
   Commentary

2. We have no word for the question word "which" and must recast the sentence, eg. nuH DaneHbogh yIngu' "Which weapon do you want?" (literally "Identify the weapon which you want!"). [KGT, p105; KLI: K. Traft, 12/15/96, Dr. Okrand Speaks -- lengthy]

6.6. Comparatives and superlatives

What can fill the slots of the A Q law'/B Q puS construction:

1. A and B can be any noun or noun phrase, eg. targhwIj yab tIn law' no'lI' Hoch yabDu' tIn puS. [PK]

2. Noun and verb phrases can precede the entire construction, eg. reH latlh qabDaq qul tuj law', Hoch tuj puS; tlhutlhmeH HIq ngeb qaq law' bIQ qaq puS [PK; HQ v2n2p3; TKW p75 ]

3. A and B can be pronouns [HQ v4n2p3]

4. Other contrastive pairs can replace law'/puS, eg. HoS/puj. [KGT p.178]

5. Only descriptive verbs can fill the Q slot, and then only in a predicate fashion, so you must use some other formula for other types of comparisions, such as sentences with nIv or -qu', eg. bortaS nIvqu' 'oH bortaS'e' "Revenge is the best revenge"; jach yaS 'ach jachqu' HoD "The captain shouts louder than the officer." [HQ v4n3p15; TKW, p 121, et al].

© 1999 Terrence Donnelly