qep'a' cha'maH SochDIch Canon

This page contains a list of newly translated words provided by Dr. Okrand and Maltz. It also contains some clarifications for words and grammar.

Please refer any errors, issues, or questions to qurgh on Discord.

Clarifications

Requested Term	Explanation	Original Request
burden	For this meaning of "burden" (a heavy load that is carried but is considered useless), one can probably make use of 'ugh, qeng, and/or tu'HomI'raH. Those words would normally not be appropriate if "burden" means something like "onus."	Request
turn	Make use of baQ and jop. For example: jopDI' 'ovwI' veb, 'echletHom tlhap "When the next player takes his/her turn, he/she takes a card"; ngop yISay'moH! yIjop! "Clean the plates! It's your turn!"	Request
fantasy	Make use of rorgh "be fantasy"	Request
faucet	use bIQ SeHjan or the like Regarding {bIQ SeH jan}, a suggested way to refer to a "faucet" — Maltz says this is really two words: {bIQ SeHjan} ("water control-device" or "water controlling-device").</> The question, based on the three-word version, was whether the suffix {-meH}, following {SeH}, was missing or deleted or could be added. And a followup question was, if so, could other similar phrases be formed by simply dropping -{meH}. Speaking historically or etymologically, a formation such as {bIQ SeHjan} was no doubt formed by reducing the phrase {bIQ SeHmeH jan} ("device for controlling water") by dropping the{-meH}. And, still speaking historically or etymologically, this could happen again for other words. It is not, however, a productive process — that is, you can't, on the fly, just drop the -meH. In everyday conversation, people may do this anyway, and some other constructions may well have come about this way (or may come about this way in the future), but, except for the set, accepted expressions (which, of course, may increase in number as time goes along and speakers accept newer formations), dropping the {-meH} is considered odd. So does the existence of {SeHjan} imply that there's a noun {SeH} (meaning "control" or "controller") that exists alongside the verb {SeH} (meaning "control")? There may be such a noun, but, if so, Maltz says he's never heard it used. He said the {SeH} in {SeHjan} and {SeHlaw} ("control panel") and {'eDSeHcha} ("take-off/landing thrusters") and elsewhere is clearly related to the verb {SeH}, but using {SeH} (a noun) as an independent word felt weird to him. But he's changed his mind before… Having said all of that, referring to a faucet as {bIQ SeHmeH jan} is fine. And the original three-word phrase that led to the confusion, {bIQ SeH jan}, is a well-constructed sentence meaning "the device controls the water."	Request
fish, be fishing	use wam or jon	Request

New Word List

Language Users and Body Part are both types of Noun. They are listed separately for the purposes of identifying the correct plural suffixes.

tlhIngan Hol	Type	English	Description/Notes	Original Request
(wa')maHSaghan or (wa')netlh'uy'	Number	10 billion	Any 1-9 digit, of course, can appear in the wa' slot	Request
(wa')maH'uy' or (wa')vatlhbIp	Number	10 million	Any 1-9 digit, of course, can appear in the wa' slot	Request
(wa')vatlhSaghan or (wa')bIp'uy'	Number	100 billion	Any 1-9 digit, of course, can appear in the wa' slot	Request
(wa')vatlh'uy' or (wa')SaDbIp or (wa')SanIDbIp	Number	100 million	Any 1-9 digit, of course, can appear in the wa' slot	Request
(wa')SaDSaghan or (wa')SanIDSaghan	Number	trillion	Any 1-9 digit, of course, can appear in the wa' slot	Request
baSta'	Noun	vector	mathematics	Request
bettI'	Noun	aluminum		Request
bo'DIj qaD	Noun	lawsuit		Request
bom; puq rur	Verb	sing falsetto		Request
boqyIn	Noun	symbiont	Could take -pu' or -mey.	Request
buj	Verb	be neither warm nor cool (temperature)		Request
bum	Verb	absorb	e.g. absorb liquid, not absorb information	Request
butnat	Noun	plutonium		Request
cha"etlh DaSwI'	Noun	tweezer	This is considered singular (that is, several pairs of tweezers are cha"etlh DaSwI'mey). The word was formed by analogy to cha"etlh pe'wI' "scissors," with DaS "pinch" replacing pe' "cut."	Request
chang	Verb	be gelatinous		Request
chayqa'	Body Part	esophagus		Request
chem	Verb	prank		Request
chertIS	Noun	mint, menthoid plant		Request
chItlh	Verb	be symmetrical		Request
choghvat	Noun	porch	Sometimes qach choghvat, sometimes choghvat pa'. This word (which is really the word for "gangplank") is used for this part of a structure even if there are no stairs or ramps involved.	Request
chorgh	Verb	be glossy		Request
chul	Verb	be wise	Refers to demonstrating good judgment based on experience, not just intelligance or book-learning.	Request
Da'lar	Noun	dollar		Request
DannI'	Noun	headphones	This device covers both ears and includes a band across head. The thing Uhura wears is teS HablI'.	Request
rI'wI'	Noun	loudspeaker
Daqturaq	Language User	d'akturak	It is not clear whether this is a native Klingon word or a borrowed Trill or Kriosian word or phrase meaning "ice man," but, in any case, this is the Klingon pronunciation	Request
DItroy'	Noun	Detroit		Request
Dut	Verb	stress, emphasize	literally "slam down"	Request
ghan'ach	Noun	seizure (medicine)		Request
ghIchDep	Noun	fair, funfair, carnival, circus		Request
gho lang	Noun	oval		Request
gho SubmaH	Number	pi	Sometimes shortened to ghomaH. Note also bav "circumference." For "diameter," make use of juch "have a width of"	Request
gholeq	Noun	flake		Request
gho"ong	Noun	magic trick		Request
gho"ong Ho'DoS	Noun	magic (trick) technique
Hajvav	Animal	weasel-like animal	This is an animal found on Qo'noS that's sort of weasel-like	Request
Hal	Verb	be porous		Request
Hampong DIr	Body Part	scab	For the plural, use –mey, even if the scab is still attached	Request
Hampun	Verb	yodel	This is a two-syllable verb, and it's slang	Request
HarqIn	Noun	disorder, disability, syndrome, condition		Request
HojnIy	Language User	teen, teenager, adolescent, youth, young adult	A slang term is yaD	Request
HomHap tun	Body Part	cartilage		Request
HoS	Noun	amplitude	Literally "strength"	Request
HoS voveng	Body Part	thyroid		Request
Hotnagh	Noun	basalt		Request
jatlh; ghughughwI' rur	Verb	speak with vocal fry	Sometimes ghughugh alone suffices	Request
jergh	Verb	spasm	to cause something to spasm is jerghmoH	Request
je'ton	Noun	counter / workbench		Request
jInay'	Noun	J'naii		Request
jIrmoH	Verb	crank	literally "cause to rotate"	Request
joSraD	Noun	crater		Request
lech	Verb	blackmail		Request
lervaD	Noun	auction		Request
letbIng	Noun	mercury		Request
lI'lIy	Noun	lily	This is just borrowed in from Federation Standard; no native Klingon equivalent	Request
lIvrI'	Noun	granite		Request
lIw mu'	Noun	pronoun	applies to full words only, not prefixes	Request
luqlev	Noun	curfew		Request
maHnaD	Noun	protein		Request
may' rImbey	Body Part	adrenaline, epinephrine		Request
mayqar	Noun	braid, knotwork		Request
maySon	Noun	superconductivity	For "be superconductive," say maySon chIw "express superconductivity" or the like	Request
mISjennegh	Noun	marble (material)		Request
moHbey	Noun	trapezium	American — not British — sense of "trapezium"
monQIv	Noun	algae		Request
mutwa'	Noun	protozoan	The name, literally "Species #1," turned out to be not scientifically accurate, but it stuck	Request
namchIl	Noun	chlorophyll		Request
nar	Verb	reflect	This is the mirror-image / reverse-image sense of "reflect"; compare 'et.	Request
neS	Verb	be crunchy, be crispy	Referring to texture, not sound	Request
ngam'eQ	Noun	gluten		Request
ngaw	Verb	erode	This is not what rust does; this is what water, wind, and so on do.	Request
ngIn	Verb	turbulent		Request
ngochjuH	Noun	quark (particle)		Request
ngonDer	Noun	nostalgia	Often the object of SIQ	Request
nguy	Verb	scoff	Also Sen (slang)	Request
nIm qulcher taD	Noun	ice cream	Ice cream is really a Terran thing; no native Klingon equivalent.	Request
nIS	Verb	interfere (with)	for "cast/throw/make (a shadow)" QIb "shadow" would be the subject. The object, if specified, would be the surface onto which the shadow is cast.	Request
nIve'Da'	Noun	Nevada		Request
pan	Verb	solve	Also SIHHa'moH (slang)	Request
parchech	Noun	gypsum		Request
parmaq qep	Noun	date		Request
penSIlvenya'	Noun	Pennsylvania		Request
perletlh	Noun	stump	This applies to trees, etc., not to body parts	Request
pIchSIv	Noun	vinegar		Request
pIqcho'	Noun	athlete	An athletic competition is pIqcho' qaD or pIqcho' Quj.	Request
pIr	Verb	be fertile	Refers to both land and creatures.	Request
popSop	Noun	sodium		Request
puH taD	Noun	tundra		Request
qarpal	Noun	trapezoid	American — not British — sense of "trapezoid"	Request
qaytu'	Language User	parent (gender-neutral term)		Request
qel	Verb	nod	This means lower the head slightly whether or not the head is again raised. So, among other things, it can refer to nodding to the beat of music or nodding off (falling asleep). The subject might be, for example, nach "head" (even though this might be considered redundant) or the nodder. It does not take an object.	Request
qeylar	Language User	K'Ehleyr		Request
qInut	Noun	scythe, sickle, falx	This is a tool resembling a sickle. It's for agriculture, but, of course, it could be used as a weapon. If it has a long handle, "scythe" may be a better translation, though it's not quite either of them.	Request
qulcher	Noun	cream
qunI'	Noun	adverb(ial)	The noun for the grammatical term.	Request
quvamaq	Language User	Kuvah'magh		Request
QaplaStep	Noun	spool, reel, spindle		Request
Qep	Verb	be anxious (about)		Request
Qeq	Verb	aim (at)	For the idea of Face (orient towards) – The object is the one oriented toward someone or something, and the thing or person being faced is marked with –Daq. With this meaning, this verb is often used with –'egh or –chuq.	Request
Qey'	Verb	be cool (temperature)		Request
QIch wab	Noun	phoneme		Request
QIch wab Sar	Noun	allophone
QIS	Verb	stitch	The object is the thing being sewn or stitched together	Request
Qo	Noun	tendency, propensity		Request
QoH	Verb	tap		Request
raq	Verb	be repetitive/redundant		Request
ravngI'	Noun	furniture, item of furniture	Stand-alone only, not built-in	Request
rebmugh	Noun	resin		Request
relleghDaq	Noun	psychokinesis		Request
repnuj	Noun	gum (oral anatomy)	Also ghaw' (slang)	Request
rIchwIn	Noun	directive, injunction		Request
rI'gheS	Noun	deflector (singular)		Request
rItlh vol	Noun	stencil		Request
rober	Noun	axis		Request
robwIl	Noun	nightmare	This can be the object of naj "dream" or SIQ "endure" and some other verbs, but generally not ghaj "have" (unless you somehow literally possess a nightmare).	Request
ruH	Verb	blush	Maltz asserts that Klingons never blush…. but then again…	Request
Sarbruqen	Noun	Saarbrücken (Germany)		Request
SeHjan	Noun	control device<, controller device/i>		Request
SImroD	Noun	power (physics)		Request
SInan	Noun	compass		Request
SIprat	Noun	bristle, stiff hair or filament		Request
So'chIm	Language User	soh-chim		Request
SupDIng	Noun	cotton-like plant	a Klingon plant, parts of which are used to make cloth	Request
SuyDar	Noun	qubit (quantum bit)	Sometimes SuyDar San'on	Request
tapqej	Noun	cherry	This is a fruit similar to a cherry. When clarification is needed, for the Earth fruit, precede with tera'.	Request
telya'	Body Part	pancreas		Request
tera' ghIch rop	Noun	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
tera' tlhuH rop	Noun	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.
tetyub	Noun	enamel, coating	This refers to any sort of artificial coating, not just enamel. It does not apply to teeth.	Request
tI'rIl	Noun	Trill	Name of the planet	Request
tIy	Verb	be curly		Request
tlhaw	Verb	be inflamed	medical term	Request
jIyeStaS	Noun	inflammation
tlhemqaDID	Language User	bumpkin, yokel		Request
tlhoqtlhal	Noun	favor	This is generally the object of a verb like tur. The recipient of the favor is marked with –vaD.	Request
tu	Verb	blink	"blink" (involuntary); also mInDu' yIv (slang)	Request
varghwI'	Language User	Changeling/Founder	Leader of the Dominion	Request
valQav	Noun	iris	Part of the eye
vov	Verb	grapple, wrestle, tussle	For "tackle," combine with pummoH "cause to fall (down)"	Request
voveng	Body Part	gland		Request
wang	Verb	wink	voluntary; for "twitch," use jergh "spasm"	Request
we'lIS	Noun	Wales		Request
woD	Verb	be hollow		Request
wontoy	Noun	ideal		Request
yo	Verb	slap, hit with palm
yuHSIQ	Noun	titanium		Request
'ub	Verb	be lonely		Request
'uchgha'	Noun	RNA		Request
'ul gho	Noun	circuit	'ul ghomey "circuits"	Request
'achghej	Noun	void		Request
'aDHom	Body Part	capillary		Request
'aHDuH	Noun	prototype		Request
'alnum	Body Part	freckle(s)		Request
'apraQ	Noun	calcium		Request
'aquta'	Noun	gourd, squash, pumpkin		Request
'ej De' vIchel	Adverb	by the way, parenthetically	This comes at the beginning of a sentence. This is the full form. In everyday conversation, 'ej and/or De' (and even vI-) are often omitted. Klingon grammarians argue about whether the resulting De'chel should be considered an adverbial in its own right.	Request
'ejtlhal	Body Part	tumor		Request
'enteD	Noun	drug	Most 'enteDmey are used ritualistically, but recreational use is not unheard of (as with alcohol).	Request
'ergh	Verb	hallucinate
'epIn	Noun	peach	A Klingon fruit similar to a peach, plum, or apricot. When clarification is needed, for the Earth fruit, precede with tera'.	Request
'erwI'Daq	Noun	telepathy		Request
'eSreH	Noun	dew		Request
'ev	Verb	applaud	This applies to whatever it is that Klingons do to applaud or show approval/appreciation. The most common way to refer to the clapping that Humans do is by the phrase toch yo "slap palm(s)."	Request
'evtlhev	Noun	base	This is really "base" — not the same as "alkali," but includes alkalis	Request
'IlHa'	Verb	be insincere		Request
'InDIye'na'	Noun	Indiana		Request
'Ipnal	Language User	spouse (gender-neutral term)		Request
'Ir	Verb	be creamy, pasty	in the sense of toothpaste. Describes smooth, thick liquids or liquid-like things	Request
'oSHeQ	Body Part	spleen		Request