Klingon
Lists: Natural languages | Language families | Conlangs | Other Lists
Fact corner
- Language: Klingon
- Created: 1984
- Alternate names: tlhIngan Hol
- SIL-code: -
- Language family: Conlang
- Number of speakers: -
- Script: Klingon script
Introduction
The Klingon language (tlhIngan Hol in Klingon) is the constructed language spoken by Klingons in the fictional Star Trek universe. Deliberately designed by Marc Okrand to be "alien", it contains many peculiarities, such as Object Verb Subject (OVS) word order. The basic sound (along with a very few words) was first devised by James Doohan ("Scotty") for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That film marked the first time the language had been heard on screen, all previous appearances of the Klingons being in English. Klingon was subsequently developed by Okrand into a fully fledged language.
The verb
There are two kinds of verbs, transitive and intransitive verbs. Transitive verbs take an object as a prefix in the inflected form.
Intransitive verb sample: toj
Present
| Sg.1 | jItoj |
| Sg.2 | bItoj |
| Sg.3 | toj |
| Pl.1 | matoj |
| Pl.2 | Sutoj |
| Pl.3 | toj |
Imperative
| Singular | yItoj! |
| Plural | petoj! |
Sample verbs
Qong, bom, jejHa', lay'Ha', matlhHa', mon, nen, ngaQ, guv, guvHa', guvmoH, Qeq, ragh, ram, regh, taH, toj
Transitive verb sample: legh
Present
| Subject | Object | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Object | Sg.1 | Sg.2 | Sg.3 | Pl.1 | Pl.2 | Pl.3 | |
| Sg.1 | jIlegh | - | qalegh | vIlegh | - | Salegh | vIlegh |
| Sg.2 | bIlegh | cholegh | - | Dalegh | julegh | - | Dalegh |
| Sg.3 | legh | mulegh | Dulegh | - | nulegh | lIlegh | - |
| Pl.1 | malegh | - | pIlegh | wIlegh | - | relegh | DIlegh |
| Pl.2 | Sulegh | tulegh | - | bolegh | chelegh | - | bolegh |
| Pl.3 | legh | mulegh | nIlegh | lulegh | nulegh | - | |
Imperative
| Object | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Object | Sg.1 | Sg.3 | Pl.1 | Pl.3 | ||
| Sg.: yIlegh! / Pl.: pelegh! | HIlegh! | yIlegh! | gholegh! | tllegh! | ||
Sample verbs
legh, baj, buSHa', ghob, Hutlh, je', nobHa', QIH, Qoy, tagh, 'uch