Type 9: verb suffixes: Syntactic markers

-mo’ because

This suffix is identical to the Type 5 noun suffix -mo’ and has the same meaning, due to, because of.

bIganmo’ because you are old (gan be old)

Heghpu’mo’ yaS because the officer died (Hegh die, yaS officer)

-jaj may

This suffix is used to express a desire or wish on the part of the speaker that something take place in the future. When it is used, there is never a Type 7 aspect suffix, -jaj is often translated with may or let, and it is particularly useful when placing a curse or making a toast.

 

jaghpu’lI’ DaghIjjaj may you scare your enemies (jaghpu’lI’ your enemies, ghIj scare)

tlhonchaj chIljaj may they lose their nostrils (tlhonchaj their nostrils, chIl lose)

-ghach nominalizer

In Klingon, there are many instances of nouns and verbs being identical in form (e.g., ta’ accomplishment, accomplish). It is not known if all verbs can be used as nouns, but it is known that verbs ending in suffixes (such as -Ha’ undo in lobHa’ disobey) can never be nouns. The Type 9 suffix -ghach, however, can be attached to such verbs in order to form nouns. Compare the following sets:

 

lo’ use (noun) (lo’ use, make use of)

lo’laHghach value (lo’laH be valuable)

lo’laHbe’ghach worthlessness (lo’laHbe’ be worthless)

naD commendation (naD commend)

naDHa’ghach discommendation (naDHa’ discommend)

naDqa’gha’ch re-commendation (naDqa’ commend again)

 

OTHER KINDS OF WORDS

ADVERBIALS

The list of adverbials given in the original dictionary can be expanded by the addition of the following:

 

ghaytan likely

jaS differently

nIteb alone, acting alone, on one’s own

pe’vIl forcefully

SIbI’ immediately

The earlier belief that adverbials come only at the beginning of sentences turns out to be not quite accurate. For a more correct description, see Section 6.7.

 

There is a second word (in addition to neH only, merely) which fits into this category despite its very peculiar behavior:

 

jay’ intensely

This word not only intensifies whatever is being said, it turns the whole phrase into an invective. Alone among the adverbials, jay’ always comes at the end of the sentence.

 

qaStaH nuq jay’	What the #$*@ is happening? (qaStaH it is occurring, nuq what?)
mIch ’elpu’ jay’	They’ve entered the #$%@ sector! (mIch sector, ’elpu’ they’ve entered it)

 

EXCLAMATIONS

As it turns out, cursing is a fine art among Klingons. There are many more curses than those three listed in the earlier edition of the dictionary. It is not always clear how to use the curses, but some are certainly epithetical (used for name-calling), while others seem to have a more general application. A few additional curses are listed below.

 

 

		Epithets	General invective
		petaQ	va
		toDSaH	ghay’cha’
		taHqeq	baQa’
		yIntagh	Hu’tegh

Qovpatlh