tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Jul 04 16:04:48 1998
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Re: -Curses
>I'm sure they're nouns. In English, an epithet is a name, and a name is
>used as a noun. On Star Trek, we've heard it said that someone "...speaks
>the lies of a {taHqeq}." That's a noun for sure.
>
>-- ghunchu'wI'
bIlugh. Not all epithets are exotic (toDSaH, petaQ, etc.). Don't forget some
are perfectly good nouns used in other contexts: Ha'DIbaH, qoH, Qa'Hom, HuH,
veQ, tu'HomIraH, etc. And in the episodes, the epithets are indeed nouns.
Sarah Andeen wrote:
> "You curse well..." We know nothing about Klingon cursing...
On Fri, 3 Jul 1998, Qermaq wrote:
>Also, we do have canonical usage of epithets, don't we, Voragh?
Yes and no. We actually know quite a bit about Klingon cursing, but most of
it doesn't come from Okrand, who tends to just say, "It's an art form."
(Smart man - he knows that the writers will contradict him, so he avoids
committing himself.) Most of our evidence on the niceties of cursing is from
the TV episodes.
I've compiled this information over the years for another project. Most of
the spellings come from the closed captions, scripts or novels. STK is my
abbreviaton for "Star Trek: Kingon!" (the novelization) vs. KCD which refers
to the CD game. SAREK is Crispin's novel, for which Okrand provided some (if
not all) of the Klingon.
_________________________________________________________________
baQa' b'aka (expletive, general invective) - When Picard failed to
convince Governor Vagh that the Federation wasn't supplying weapons to
Kriosian rebels, Vagh shouted: "You speak the lies of a tah-keck!"
Picard calmly leaned forward and replied, "Qu'vatlh guy'cha b'aka!"
Vagh complimented him, saying: "You swear well, Picard. You must have
Klingon blood in you." (The Mind's Eye)
baktag possibly a variant of petaQ? - The day's battles over, partisans
of both Duras and Gowron have gathered in a bar for drinking, boxing,
headbutting and armwrestling, generally joymaking. Worf's brother Kurn
exchanges a few punches with another Klingon, then laughs and sits with
him at a table. When Worf enters, he introduces the other Klingon:
"Worf, good! This piece of baktag is captain Larg. He commanded the
squadron that tried to destroy us yesterday." (Redemption II)
bIHnuch Klingon word meaning "coward." It was K'mpec's reply to Worf's
formal admission of cowardice as part of the discommendation ritual.
Worf endured the insult to avoid execution as a traitor's son. (Sins
of the Father)
Dor-sho-gha! Klingon curse used to express great frustration (All Good
Things...)
forshak Worf provokes Thopok in Quark's bar: "Is there a pile of
rotting forshak in here, or is it you?" (Looking for Par'Mach in All
the Wrong Places)
ghay'cha' general invective (expletive)
ghuy'cha' (expletive) ["Here's another word with strong force. A
Klingon might say it after receiving an unsettling communique. It's a
LOT stronger than the Terran `Darn it!'" (CK)] - When Picard failed to
convince Governor Vagh that the Federation wasn't supplying weapons
to Kriosian rebels, Vagh shouted: "You speak the lies of a tah-keck!"
Picard calmly leaned forward and replied, "Qu'vatlh guy'cha b'aka!"
Vagh complimented him, saying: "You swear well, Picard. You must have
Klingon blood in you." (The Mind's Eye)
Ha'DIbaH Animal! (epithet) TKD - Kruge, whose gunner destroyed the
target (failing to merely disable it as ordered), called him Ha'DIbaH
after blasting him. (ST3) - verengan Ha'DIbaH Ferengi dog (a classic
insult) KCD - Worf has been accused of his father having aided the
Romulans to accomplish the Khitomer massacre. When K'mpec reveals to
him that the traitor in fact was Duras' father, Ja'rod, he points at
Duras and shouts "This Ha'DIbaH should have been fed to the dogs!"
(Sins of the Father) - Duras and Gowron are both anxious to get to
fight each other for the leadership of the High Council, but before
that can be done, Picard must, as the Arbiter of Succession, formally
name them as candidates. As Picard enters, Duras says: "The Council
must have a leader now! Complete the rite so I can kill this Ha'DIbaH!
(referring to Gowron)" (Reunion) - Jadzia is persuading Kor, an
elderly Klingon, to convince two other old Klingons to take her with
them to a trip of vengeance. Kor says he can't convince Kang, if he
has made his mind. Jadzia says he can. Kor takes into self-pity saying
his best days are behind him. Jadzia comforts him and says that in her
memories he is a great warrior, and leaves. Apparently she hit a
tender spot. Kor, emotionally touched, looks almost as in tears and
yells after her, but not quite loud enough for her to hear, "you
devious little hadeebah". (Blood Oath)
HuH bile (in humans, a bitter fluid secreted by the liver) PK, gall
TKW, slime KCD - jagh lucharghlu'ta'bogh HuH ghopDu'lIj lungaSjaj May
the bile of the vanquished (enemy) fill your hands! PK - HuH DaHutlh.
You lack gall (bile). TKW - "HuH Pakled!" said ChaqI. "They do not fix
their vessels. They do not even understand how." (STK: 101) [In the
"Curses" section of KCD, which includes insults, I take the gloss to
mean that the literal meaning of HuH is "bile", and "Slime!" is an
English invective of similar figurative and literal meaning.]
Hu'tegh (excl!, a general invective) - "He's one Hu'tegh fine gunner!"
SAREK
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." (TKD: 177);
- qaStaH nuq jay' What the #$%@ is happening? mIch 'elpu' jay' They've
entered the @#$% sector! TKD - SoH 'Iv jay' [Who the hell are you?]
qaStaH nuq jay' [What the hell is happening?] ST6 - ghaytanHa' jay'
Not bloody likely! RTb
k'pekt derogatory Klingon epithet. - Old drunk Kor has been
participating in a historical battle in Quark's holosuite for three
hours but paid only for one. Quark has alerted Odo, who tells him to
shut down the power. He does. The Klingon inside is not pleased; after
breaking his way out and screaming a senseless threatening roar, he
seen Quark behind Odo. "You dare interrupt the Battle of Klach D'kel
Brakt!? You Ferengi k'pekt!" (Blood Oath)
ko'tal derogatory Klingon epithet. "Look what this ko'tal is doing!"
adult Alexander/K'mtar remarked as he pointed out a holographic
Klingon warrior's error during a knife fight. (First Born)
korut epithet used by Kurn to refer to the cautious Bajoran security
men who were trying to calm him: "You miserable koruts!" (Sons of
Mogh)
lam be' (epithet) SAREK
mak'dar (epithet) - There's a drunken Klingon in Quark's Bar,
nearly passed out and out of money but wanting credit. Quark goes to
show him off. He bangs the table several times with a mug to waken the
man, then boldly says, "My name is Quark". D'ghor awakens, grins and
growls. Quark doesn't feel so bold anymore and makes up an excuse. The
drunkard stands up saying, "You dare to talk to me like that? You
pathetic mak'dar!" draws a knife and attacks. (House Of Quark)
petaQ (epithet) "an insult" (STE) Variously spelled pahtk, patahk, p'tak,
p'tahk, pah-tak, pahtak, pathk, etc. - Romulan Gen. Jarok sees Worf and
asks Riker, "Tell me, how do you allow this Klingon pahtk to walk around
in a Starfleet uniform?" (The Defector) - patahk (Sins Of The Father) -
Duras, the other of the two to compete for the title of Chancellor of
High Council, is communicating with Picard, who has been chosen as
Arbeiter of Succession, about the Sonchi- ceremony. While at this, he
sees Worf, at the time discommendated, enter the bridge. "Keep that
pahtak away from the ceremony, Picard! He has no place on a Klingon
ship. " (Reunion) - J'Ddan, a Klingon exobiologist who has been
working on the Enterprise, is suspected of involvement in a security
breach and sabotaging the warp core. As discommendated Worf escorts
him to his quarters where he is confined, he tries to bribe Worf to
help him steal a shuttle and escape in exchange for helping Worf to
regain his honor. Worf is silent, but when they reach their
destination, he hits the man several times and snarls at him "I don't
know how you transferred secret information to the Romulans, but I
will find out!" The man spits out "petaQ". Worf continues: "And when
we inform the High Council, they will put you to a slow death!" (The
Drumhead) - Worf says there's evidence of a Klingon having been aboard
a Federation outpost, where messages have been stolen. Klingon governor
Torak isn't pleased: "You still try to blame us!" "Have the courage to
admit your mistakes - or are you a lo'Be Vos?" "At least I don't wear
the uniform of a p'tak!" (Aquiel) - "Welcome aboard, Gowron." "Where is
he, Picard?" "I assume that you're referring to Kahless." "I am referring
to the filthy pahtk who's using his name!" (Rightful Heir) - "pah-tak" is
in the script but may not have been in the aired version (The Chase) -
P'tak (First Born) - Quark awakens in a Klingon room: "Where am I?" "You
are in the ancestral home of what used to be known as the House of Kozak."
"What's it called now?" "Kozak died without a male heir... the house no
longer has a name." "What about Kozak's brother, D'Ghor?" "That pahtak's
name is not spoken in this house! He is no brother to Kozak! His family
has been a sworn enemy to this house for seven generations!" (House of
Quark) - Three Klingons come down laughing from Quark's holosuites and
notice some Romulans sitting around the table. They surround the table:
"Who let these filthy p'tahk in here?" Another Klingon replies "Maybe we
should show them the way out" (Visionary) - "Klingon" B'Elanna rescues
weak and timid "human" B'Elanna from the Vidiians, telling her to "Get
up, p'tahk!" when she regains consciousness after fainting. (Faces) -
Kor calls Worf "this traitorous p'tak!" (The Sword of Kahless) - Worf
throws a thief he caught on Odo's desk saying, "This p'tak just robbed
my quarters!" (Bar Association) - Regent Worf growls to Mirror-Garak,
"So this is the p'tak who lost Terok Nor to the rebels." (Shattered
Mirror) - B'Ellana categorically rejects Tom Paris' suggestion
regarding Ens. Vorik by saying, "I am not helping that Vulcan p'tak."
(Blood Fever) - The Doctor's holo-son Jeffrey shouted, "I'm going to
become a warrior and I can't do that if I'm being led around on a
leash by some bloodless patahk!" (Real Life) - [K'Tar] glared at
Qua'lon, then spit on the floor. "You petaQ! Your men have ransacked
my home. Taken my belongings, my treasures, beaten my son, dRacLa."
(STK: 166) - Martok: "Now is the time to strike and strike hard!"
Sisko: "We've found their weak point and now it's time to exploit it."
Martok: "But this p'tagh would rather sit home and count his dead."
Before the scene opened, Martok had evidently called Romulan Senator
Letant a coward. (Tears of the Prophets)
qoH a fool - Hagh qoHpu' neH HeghtaHvIS SuvwI'pu' Only fools laugh
while warriors die. PK - not qoHpu''e' neH ghIjlu' Only fools have no
fear. meQtaHbogh qachDaq Suv qoH neH Only a fool fights in a burning
house. qoH vuvbe' SuS The wind does not respect a fool. HIvbe' qoHpu'
neH Only fools don't attack. Hegh neH chav qoH A fool's only
achievement is death. qanchoHpa' qoH, Hegh qoH Fools die young. TKW;
(as epithet) - "qoH!" I was not happy. "You did not engage the
cloaking device fast enough. They have detected us." (Gowron in STK:
101) - "She's not dwelling in the past, like this qoH." SAREK
QI'yaH (expletive) ["One of the strongest, most foul Klingon
expressions; it defies translation." (KCD)] - "The bartender,"
I said. "QI'yaH. Are you sure, Pakled?" (STK: 106) "You are too late,"
she said. "He is gone." "Where?" She shook her head. "I wish I knew."
"QI'yaH." (STK: 108)
Qovpatlh (epithet)
Qu'vatlh (expletive) ["This is something you might hear someone say
in moments of extreme anger. Be concerned if you hear it." (CK) "The
invective va is actually just a shortened form of Qu'vatlh." (TKD 178)
- When Picard failed to convince Governor Vagh that the Federation
wasn't supplying weapons to Kriosian rebels, Vagh shouted at him:
"You speak the lies of a tah-keck!" Picard calmly leaned forward and
replied, "Qu'vatlh guy'cha b'aka!" Vagh complimented him, saying: "You
swear well, Picard. You must have Klingon blood in you." (The Mind's
Eye)
taHqeq tahkeck (epithet) [Okrand tells us, "If you call someone this,
stand back! This is a classic insult." (CK) - When Picard failed to
convince Governor Vagh that the Federation wasn't supplying weapons
to Kriosian rebels, Vagh lost his temper and shouted: "You speak the
lies of a tahkeck!" (The Mind's Eye)
toDSaH tohzah STE (epithet) ["This is something one Klingon would call
another if they weren't on the best of terms." (CK)] - "A Klingon curse
(pronounced "to-ZAH") flung at Lieutenant Worf by Admiral Jarok, the
Romulan defector." (STC Klingon Database) Jarok insults Worf saying,
"Get this tohzah out of my sight!" (The Defector)
toh-pah or toba' (epithet) [This is possibly a misreading of
tohzah.] - The Cardassians fire on the Enterprise and Maht-H'a to
disable them and thus gain an adventage on the chase. Capt Nu'Daq,
aboard the Enterprise, hails Maht-H'a: "Maht-H'a, status?" "Minor
damage to starboard nacelle. We will be operational in less than one
hour." "WHAT! You incompetent toh-pah! You were supposed to be
prepared!" Later, on the planet where the puzzle is finally solved,
the Cardassian Gul who tried to deceive both the Klingons and
Federation, materializes. Nu'Daq shouts "You dishonorable toh-pah!"
(The Chase)
tojo'Qa' Klingon expletive of frustration (All Good Things...)
tu'HomIraH T'oohomIrah (something useless), dunsel, "good-for-nothing"
(epithet) - HurDaq tu'HomIraHvetlh yIlan Get that piece of junk out of
here! KCD - Three old Klingons arrive on DS9 to pick up Curzon Dax for
a trip of vengeance he was bound to with a blood oath. Instead of
Curzon they find Jadzia, who feels compelled to take Curzon's place
even though the Trill law doesn't require it from her. Kor is on her
side and eventually she manages to impress even Koloth with her skills
with the bat'telh, but Kang remains adamant. At that point Kor asks
him: "Why do you dismiss her like some useless t'ooho'mIrah?" ("Blood
Oath")
va Phew! Pha! (expletive) ["The invective va is actually just a shortened
form of Qu'vatlh." (TKD: 178)]
veQ garbage, trash (as epithet) - Then speaking to Pok, but
looking directly into Vok's face, [K'Tar] said, "Throw this veQ out."
Pok stood and moved toward Vok, reaching for the unwanted guest.
"bIyem'a'!" Vok said. Pok stopped short of grabbing Vok. ... "The
celebration," Vok said, "was declared a lop'no. You have invited the
spirits of all our Klingon ancestors. Tradition dictates that all are
welcome to the lop 'no. Even ancient rivals. Even me, K'Tar." "Chut
Quj," K'Tar said. "Luq ratlh," Pok said, almost spitting his words at
Vok. (STK: 23f) "Get this veQ off my bridge." (STK: 106) "When we
catch this veQ of a bartender," I said to Pok, "I will let you have
the honor of killing him." (STK: 107) Qua'lon jumped to his feet,
clearly outraged. "The wife of the veQ who killed my brother may not
enter the House of SepIch." (STK: 166)
veQnuj (epithet) - "Uuughh!" she grunted. "I had to let those veQ-Nuj
handle me. I'm sorry now I just didn't kill them." SAREK
wejpuH Charming! (expletive, used ironically)
yIntagh (expletive) - Gowron is about to be installed as the head of
High Council, but in the last moment a challenger appears. Toral, very
young, claiming to be the son of Duras, followed by Lursa and B'Etor.
Gowron is not pleased. "This is outrageous! Duras had no mate - where
did you find him, Lursa? In a harlot's bed chamber?" Toral steps forward:
"I will personally cut your tongue out, Yintagh!" (Redemption I) - "What
kind of a yInTagh bar is this?" (STK p.?)
_________________________________________________________________
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons