New Klingon Words
Disclaimer: This list is not current. It was last updated with words revealed in the middle of 2020. It will be brought up to match present knowledge by July 2024.
The words listed here were revealed or expanded upon after the publication of The Klingon Dictionary and Klingon for the Galactic Traveler. This list was compiled and maintained for many years by Will Martin (a.k.a. charghwI'). It is now curated by Alan Anderson (a.k.a. ghunchu'wI'). Note that not all of these words are perfectly defined, and the list is subject to additions, deletions, and emendations as our knowledge increases. The choice of what words deserve to be included in this list is up to Alan. Send him suggestions for additional entries, realizing that only words from confirmed Okrand sources will be accepted, and the source must be cited. See the explanation at the bottom of this list for source abbreviation descriptions.
In order not to compete with Dr. Okrand's income via royalties, the vocabulary of TKD and KGT will not be reproduced here. For a complete word list, combine this list with the ones in those two books.
tach
v
turn over [...if something flipped over on its own accord or seemingly on its own accord...]
4 June 2020 email to Lieven
tachmoH
v
turn over [You'd be more likely to use tachmoH than yoymoH when moving someone from a prone to supine position. And you'd be more likely to use yoymoH than tachmoH when flipping over hamburgers or pancakes. On the other hand, either would be fine or flipping over cards, with yoymoH implying a quicker or crisper action.]
4 June 2020 email to Lieven
tagh
v.t.
begin a process, initiate [proceedings]
Addendum of TKD, TKW p187
tagha'
adv
finally, at last
NEWS
taHqeq
excl
epithet [this is a classic insult.]
from TKD p178; also in CK
tajvaj
n
angle
HolQeD v11n2p9
tajvaj
n
corner of a room [same word as for "angle"]
qep'a' 24
tajvaj leD
n
right angle
qepHom 13
tajvajHom
n
acute angle
qepHom 13
tajvaj'a'
n
obtuse angle [DYM]
qepHom 13
tal
n
cannon
BoP Poster
tamghay
n
light, luminescence, illumination
Marc Okrand email to Lieven January 2018
tamler
n
element (in chemistry)
qepHom 2015 p.13
tamlerQeD
n
chemistry
qep'a' 26
tanje'rIn
n
tangerine [A smallish fruit similar to a na'ran, with an easily-peeled skin.]
qepHom 2019
tangqa'
n
animal species with both genders resembling Terran bull
HolQeD
tapqej
n
cherry [This is a fruit similar to a cherry. When clarification is needed, for the Earth fruit, precede with tera'.] [Request]
qep'a' 27
taq
v
be scarred
qep'a' 24
taqmoH
v
scar
qep'a' 24
taQ
v
be weird, bizarre, unnatural (maybe creepy) [missing from TKD E-K]
TKD K-E, qepHom 2017
taQbang
n
slang for either "urine" or "fecal matter"
qep'a' 23
tarDIghaD
n
tardigrade
qepHom 2015 p.14
targh tIq
n
heart of targ, a food item
described and shown on KCD
taSman
n
ditch [Marc Okrand email 2012-01-15]
qepHom
tatlh
v
return (something)
NEWS
tav
v
shake [as in what you might do to wake someone up, or what James Bond does to a martini, or what you do to your right foot after you put it in and then put it out (Note: what freezing temperatures may do to you is jelmoH, not tav)]
qep'a' 24
taw
n
road, street, path, etc (physical version of He)
qepHom 2015 p.14
taw 'ay'
n
city block
qepHom 15
tawI'yan
n
Tawi'yan [Klingon counterpart (more or less) of the best man at a wedding. This is normally translated as "sword-bearer," but etymologically that's not quite right. It's a frozen and somewhat modified form of an old word which was apparently something like taywI'yan, having something to do with ceremony or ritual tay and sword yan, but the details of the old grammatical construction are unknown.] [Request]
qep'a' 26
tawleHnu'
n
hopeless situation
qepHom 2019
tawleHnu' pogh
n
emphatically hopeless situation
qepHom 2019
taw'
v
be ridgy, embossed [the opposite of 'ap be dented (not used for foreheads)]
qepHom 2019
tay
n
sound of letter t [alphabet]
qep'a' wa'maH javDIch
tuch rIt
v
prophesize, see the future, know the future [For Klingons, the "prophet" is able to "summon" the future somehow.]
1 January 2018 email to Lieven
tel
n
wing
This was omitted from the English-Klingon listing of TKD
tellarngan
n
Tellarite [inhabitant of the planet tellar wa']
qep'a' 24
tem
n
electron
qep'a' 23
tem
v
deny, contradict, disavow, claim as false [It does not mean "refuse, reject, turn down, don't permit".]
TKD, qepHom 2017
tennuS
n
uncle, father's brother
HolQeD v9n3p8
tennuSnal
n
uncle, father's sister's husband
HolQeD v9n3p8
tenwal
n
page (in a book)
qepHom 2015 p.18
tepqengwI'
n
cargo lift [(add to current defs) ]
BoP Poster
tera' bIQ lung'a'
n
alligator, crocodile
qepHom 2015 p.14
tera' ghIch rop
n
common cold [Maltz says Klingons don't get colds (though, despite what he says, Klingons are not immune from other, somewhat similar afflictions). Another way to refer to this Earth disease, generally unsympathetically, is tera' rop bIr, which is, of course, a misguided translation.] [Request]
qep'a' 27
tera' nagh DIr charwI'
n
snail
qepHom 2015 p.14
tera' na'ran
n
orange
TN!LK
tera' na'ran wIb
n
lemon
TN!LK
tera' na'ran'a'
n
grapefruit
TN!LK
tera' peb'ot
n
cucumber
TN!LK
tera' yav 'atlhqam
n
mushroom
TN!LK
tera' 'arDeH
n
ivy (Terran)
qepHom 15
teSra'
n
tile (such as a Scrabble piece)
qepHom 17
tetyub
n
enamel, coating [This refers to any sort of artificial coating, not just enamel. It does not apply to teeth.] [Request]
qep'a' 27
tetlh
v
roll [as a log rolls down a hill]
De'vID Feb 2019 Q&A
tey
v
be uncomfortable, be close [for the sense of being close or not having wiggle room or leeway (If you were victorious, but just barely made it at the last minute or something like that, you could say tey yay.)]
qep'a' 24
teybe'
v
be comfortable, be easy [for the sense of being not close or having wiggle room or leeway (e.g. a comfortable distance away [from something] or a comfortable victory)]
qep'a' 24
tey'
n
cousin (mother's sister's child or father's brother's child), niece or nephew (man's brother's child or woman's sister's child)
HolQeD v9n3p8
tey'be'
n
female cousin (mother's sister's child or father's brother's child), niece (man's brother's daughter or woman's sister's daughter)
HolQeD v9n3p8
tey'loD
n
male cousin (mother's sister's son or father's brother's son), nephew (man's brother's son or woman's sister's son)
HolQeD v9n3p8
tIHmey
n
railroad tracks [based on tIH shaft of spear]
MiniaturWunderland
tIjwI'ghom
n
boarding party
TKD p20
tIl
v
salivate
HolQeD, v12n4p8
tIng
n
southwestward, area toward the southwest (approx 220 degrees on terran 360 degree compass counting clockwise with 0 at north)
HolQeD v8n4p6
tIq
n
heart
TKW p23 - symbolic
tIqnagh lemDu'
n
Tknag hooves, a food item always referred to in plural
KCD
tIquvma
N
T'Kuvma [Discovery]
qepHom 2019
tIr
v
be arranged in a stack, be superimposed ["Superimpose A and B" is A B je tIrmoHchu'. One way to say "superimpose A on(to) B" is B-Daq A lanchu'. ] [Request]
qep'a' 26
tIr ngogh
n
bread [Marc Okrand email 2010-11-15]
qepHom 9
tIr ngogh QaD
n
toast
TN!LK
tIw
v
react emotionally, behave emotionally
qepHom 2017
tI'ang
proper n
T'Ong (name of a ship)
S15, HolQeD v4n3p5
toDDuj
n
rescue ship
HolQeD v8n4p11
toDSaH
excl
epithet [you would call someone this if you were not on the best of terms.]
TKD p178; CK
tol
v
go through, pass through, pass among [This is for passing through a crowd, or other group of objects.] [Request]
qep'a' 26
tomat naHmey
n
tomato
TN!LK
tomter
n
funnel
qepHom 17
tonSaw'
n
fighting technique [used to name martial arts poses or stances; much is used for striking a pose, and takes the named stance as the object (tonSaw' may be dropped from the name if it's clear)]
KGT, De'vID Feb 2019 Q&A
toqwIn
n
(rubber) stamp
qepHom 2015 p.19
toQ
n
a bird of prey
HolQeD v10n4p5
tor
v
pitch (aircraft tilts nose up or down), kneel (action of a person or animal)
HolQeD v11n2p9
torgh
proper n
Torg
TKD p58
toSwI' qal'aq
n
climbing apparatus, jungle gym [Marc Okrand email 2014-01-27]
qepHom 12
to'ratlh
N
Torath [Discovery]
qepHom 2019
tuch
n
the future (as a whole)
qep'a' 23
tuch rItwI'
n
prophet [Not the religious person like Jesus or Mohammed, but more some kind of a person who seems to be able to see or know things that others can't.]
1 January 2018 email to Lieven
tuD
v
thunder
qep'a' 24
tugh
excl
hurry up!
MSN
tuj muvwI'
n (presumed)
thermo-suture
veS QonoS, listed in HolQeD, v1n3p9
tuj 'otlh
n
infrared, infrared radiation
qepHom 17
tungyen
n
concrete
qepHom 15
tuqjIjQa'
N
United Kingdom
TN!LK
tuqnIgh
n
a member of one's house
HolQeD v9n3p9
tur
v
carry out, conduct (a mission), perform (duties)
qepHom 15
turIqya'
N
Turkey
TN!LK
turmIq
n
urine
qep'a' 23
turmIq 'enDeq
n
urinary bladder [Strictly, the noun 'enDeq refers to anatomy, but it can be used metaphorically in other contexts, which is the way it works in English.]
qepHom 17
tuS
v
cough
HolQeD, v12n4p8
tutlh
v
be tattooed, have a tattoo
Marc Okrand email to Qov 3 October 2017
tutlh
v
be official [this is slang for "official"; when asked Maltz said nothing about "canon"]
qep'a' 25
tutlhmoH
v
tattoo
Marc Okrand email to Qov 3 October 2017
tuy'
v
spit [If you spit out liquid, {bItuy'}, but if you spit out solids, {bItlhIS}.]
HolQeD, v12n4p8
tu'mI'
n
sock [one of a paSlogh chang'eng]
January 2019 email to De'vID
tu'qom
n
shape, form, appearance, configuration
qepHom 15
Count:111
Works Cited
- CK
- Okrand, Marc. (1992). Conversational Klingon (audio cassette). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 5-022-73903-6391
- FFN
- Festival of the Spoken Nerd (2015). Full Frontal Nerdity DVD. Laughing Stock. ISBN: 0-671-79739-5
- Hamletmachine
- Translation by Lieven Litaer of Heiner Müller's 1977 play Die Hamletmaschine. (link)
- HolQeD
- (1992 to present). The quarterly journal of the Klingon Language Institute. Assorted interviews with and articles by Marc Okrand. ISSN: 1061-2327
- KCD
- Okrand, Marc. (1992). Star Trek: Klingon, CD-ROM. New York: Simon & Schuster Interactive. ISBN: 0-671-52873-4
- Monopoly
- (2011). MONOPOLY® – Star Trek Klingon Limited Edition, board game. USAopoly/Hasbro.
- OZ
- 'aS 'IDnar pIn'a' Dun, Jackson Bradley's translation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- PCHC
- Chase Masterson (2016). Pop Culture Hero Coalition message. Facebook. (link)
- PK
- Levine, Barry & Okrand, Marc. (1993). Power Klingon: Master the Language of Warriors (audio cassette). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0-671-87975-8
- qepHom
- An annual meeting of Klingonists in Germany. The first such qepHom took place in 2002. (The word can refer to any minor gathering, but this list uses it exclusively for the organized German meeting.)
- qep'a'
- The annual conference of the Klingon Language Institute. Marc Okrand is often in attendance. qep'a' wa'DIch was held in 1994. (The word can refer to any convention or conference, but this list uses it exclusively for the KLI's annual meeting.)
- TKD
- Okrand, Marc. (1985 & 1992). The Klingon Dictionary, 2nd ed. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0-671-74559-X
- TKW
- Okrand, Marc. (1996). Star Trek: The Klingon Way: A Warrior's Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0-671-53755-5
- TN!LK
- (2011). Talk Now! Learn Klingon. EuroTalk, Ltd. ISBN: 1-846-06606-9
- veS QonoS
- (1990). Newsletter of Mortas-Te-Kaase, a defunct Klingon club. Some new words from Marc Okrand appeared, and a subset of these were later used in CK. The entire list was reprinted by permission of both Okrand and the club in HolQeD 1:3.