qep'a' cha'maH vaghDIch Canon
"instead of":
This is expressed idiomatically using the phrase 'e' qa' " it replaces…".
Examples:
'awje' vItlhutlh; HIq vItlhutlh 'e' qa'
"I drink root beer instead of liquor"
(literally: "I drink root beer; it replaces that I drink liquor").
jIQam; jIba' 'e' qa'
"I stand rather than sit" or " I'll stand instead of sitting"
(literally: "I stand; it replaces that I sit").
In everyday speech, shortcuts are often taken:
'awje' vItlhutlh; HIq ('e') qa'
"I drink rootbeer instead of liquor"
(literally: "I drink root beer; it replaces liquor").
Or in response to the question HIq Datlhutlh DaneH'a'?, one might say simply 'awje'; HIq ('e') qa' " rootbeer instead of liquor" (literally: "root beer; it replaces liquor").
In the last two examples, the use of 'e' is optional. It's grammatically not needed, but because of the common use of the 'e' qa' construction, it's sometimes heard anyway.
New Words
'ach whereas (conj)
(expressing contrast. But there's also an idiomatic expression: ro' mojchugh ghIt " if the flat hand becomes a fist". Used in a similar fashion to the English "on the other hand")
'an waste (v)
(as someone sacrifices forces for a certain goal or just wastes one's resources)
'anmoH sacrifice (v)
'atlhqam tun a type of mold (n)
("soft fungus")
'ay float (v)
(in/on water or other liquids; for in space, see "be adrift" rIjHa')
'echletHom vey deck of cards (n)
'eD crawl (v)
'et bounce, rebound, ricochet (v)
(the thing something bounces off of is marked with -vo')
'Ich be slippery (v)
'IqngIl coil, spring (n)
'IrmeD eddy (n)
(in air)
'olQan gap (n)
(like the space between your teeth or the area between rows of seats in a theater, but it (and 'olQanmey) can be used for the space in a room, space on a desk, etc. A verb commonly used with 'olQan is 'uch. This generally means "hold, grasp," but when the object is 'olQan it's often translated "occupy" or"take up.")
'oq sink (v)
(into water, etc)
'oqmoH submerge (v)
'otHel dock (n)
(any place a vessel is moored, even if there is no structure)
'ung squat (down) (v)
'unwat basket (n)
(weaved container for carrying things)
'uq whistle (v)
(if there's an object, it's the thing (song? birdcall?) being whistled)
bambu' bamboo (n)
ban be bruised (v)
banmoH bruise (v)
bar blink, flash (v)
(as in lighting up briefly or repeatedly)
baylaD slice (n)
(the chunk cut off as the result of quH)
bel Qu' hobby (n)
(literally "pleasure task")
bIQ beb surface of water (n)
(literally "water roof")
bItlh adapt to, get used to, acclimatize to, conform to, become adjusted to (v)
bo'DIj nompuq forensic evidence (n)
(literally "court evidence")
bo'ghey slope (of a mountain) (n)
chen'ong maze (n)
Daqav bay, inlet, cove (n)
DerlIq chest, crate, trunk (n)
DIy be stuck (v)
(like when you can't get a door open or a window open)
Do'ol sand (n)
Do'ol HuD dune (n)
(literally "sand mountain")
Do'ol raS'IS grain of sand (n)
(literally "sand seed")
Du'ran philtrum
(groove between upper lip and nose)
ghan glance at, take a quick look at (v)
ghan'Iq police force (n)
ghan'Iq yaS police officer (n)
ghanroq basis/foundation (n)
(underlying support for an idea, argument, or process, depending on context, could also be meq or qolqoS)
gher'ID results, outcome, effect, repercussions, consequence, ramification (n)
("results" with the sense of " score, tally" is mIvwa'mey)
ghevjur shovel (n)
ghItwI' geyser (n)
(this is just "gusher, spouter"; if steam is emitted, say SeS ghItwI')
ghon sparkle, glitter (v)
ghor'In Gorn (n)
Hampong wound, sore (n)
(a wound or sore with at least some abrasion, not just a bruise)
HIr be stuck (v)
(like a stamp is stuck to an envelope or a spitwad is stuck on a wall)
HIS be compressed (as in air) (v)
Ho' cog/sprocket teeth (n)
Ho' rutlh cog/sprocket wheel (n)
Huch ngop coins (n)
(literally "money plates"; often, not always, followed by -Hom. )
Huch jengva' coin (n)
(literally "money plate"; often, not always, followed by -Hom. )
janbI' slope (n)
(mathematical term)
jorchan view, scene, scenery, sight, landscape (n)
lang be narrow, be thin (v)
lujwI' mIr losing streak (n)
lIQ be stuck (v)
(like when you can't solve an algebra problem or a crossword puzzle)
logh'ob chest (n)
(the upper front of the torso)
luS be submerged in, immersed in, surrounded by (v)
marQen eddy (n)
(in water)
me'cheD cross (+), ex (x) (n)
meq topic, subject, theme (n)
(of a conversation, story, etc; literally "reason, motive")
mInyoD eyelid (n)
(literally "eye shield" (used in Klingon Hamlet))
mIr streak (n)
(literally "chain")
mIt be appropriate, be suitable, be proper for the situation, circumstances (v)
mItlhon smaller sail (n)
molHa' dig up (v)
(like a bone or a fossil)
moqtay' bruise (n)
(a bruise you can see, but not an open wound;)
mor be agile, be dexterous (v)
(depending on context, could also be Soy'Ha')
naQjejHom arrow (n)
(not really a Klingon gizmo)
nel match, pair up, map onto (v)
(like when fingerprints match)
neq intersect (v)
neqratlh glasses, spectacles (n)
ngajrun puzzle, riddle (n)
(this is a made-up puzzle or riddle)
ngam adhere, stick (v)
(with -moH, the object is the thing that's stuck to or adhering to something else, marked by -Daq)
ngat 'atlhqam a type of mold (n)
("gunpowder fungus")
ngen be numb (v)
(of body parts; for emotions, use jemHa' or jemlaHbe')
ngItlh be stuck (v)
(like when your car is stuck in the snow or Santa is stuck in the chimney or a ring is stuck on your finger or a nail is stuck in a piece of wood and you can't pull it out)
pep'en current (n)
(in air or water)
pIlghIm mast, flagpole (n)
poymar mystery (n)
(a real "mystery", something that confounds people)
qaD mIr tournament (n)
(literally "challenge chain")
qappam foundation (n)
(supporting under-structure of building)
qengHoD treasure, booty, plunder, swag, loot (n)
(context determines the best translation. If there's a lot of stuff, the plural form qengHoDmey is often (but not necessarily) used. The resemblance to "Captain Kang" is coincidental, but, even so, Kang's crew was careful to never say qengHoDmey when he was around)
qerjIq fireplace (n)
(specific place in a house for heating/food preperation)
qey be in vain, futile (v)
qo'rob puppet (n)
(this is as in "puppet state" or "puppet government")
quH slice, carve (v)
quvHa'ghach mIr losing streak (n)
QapwI' mIr winning streak (n)
(less common way to say it)
Qu'Hom errand (n)
raghghan doll, action figure, miniature humanoid (n)
rapmar oar (n)
rarchuq be related (v)
(generally/conceptually, from rar "connect")
rarwI' plug (n)
(this is "connector"; an electric plug is 'ul rarwI')
rIj be moored, anchored (v)
rIjHa' be adrift (v)
Sat be stuck (v)
(like being stuck in a meeting or stuck in traffic (also, for some reason, it be would be for a cat stuck in a tree))
SIrgh raghghan puppet (n)
(literally "string doll", the doll that is used in performances)
SIyech cane, reed (n)
SolDeS sail (n)
SommI' tool, implement, instrument (n)
SubmaH fraction, ratio (n)
(can be used to mean "frequency" in such constructions as wanI' SubmaH "frequency, occurrence ratio" or yay SubmaH "victory ratio" or "frequency of victories")
tang trip, stumble (v)
toba'qo tobacco (n)
(this is just the Federation Standard word; Maltz has heard the phrase por pur "inhale leaf," which he assumes is shortened from por tlhIch pur "inhale leaf smoke," but he has not idea what kind of por "leaf" it might be)
turwI' server (computer) (n)
(if clarity is needed, say De'wI' turwI' " computer server"; in context, turwI' alone is enough)
tut Duj lift, elevator (n)
("column vehicle"; this is the cab, not the whole system)
tutlh be official (v)
(this is slang for "official"; when asked Maltz said nothing about "canon")
tlham slide (v)
tlhan dig (v)
(the object is dirt or soil or a field or a road, for example, not "hole")
tlharwIl link in a chain (n)
tlhoS barely (adv)
("almost," used with a negative verb)
vaS be wide, broad"
(referring to side-to-side distance, not things like a "broad topic" or "wide range of opinion" or "eyes wide open")
var be stingy, miserly (v)
varHa' be generous (v)
vatlh coil (v)
vaw be ambitious, determined, motivated (v)
(not like an ambitious task)
vech cross (v)
(as in a bridge crossing a river, etc)
vergh dock, port (seaport, airport, spaceport) (n)
(with a structure to attach to, like a pier; expanded meaning)
vI'Ir tide (n)
vIl be cool (as in chic) (v)
(this is slang)
vIQ suffocate (v)
(does not take an object)
vIQmoH smother (v)
(for "drown" precede the verb with bIQDaq or the like)
voD drill, bore (v)
voDmeH jan drill (n)
(a shortened version, voD jan, is often heard; this is the whole device, not the drill bit)
ya'rIS echo (n)
(for the verb, see "rebound" 'et)
yay mIr winning streak (n)
(common way to say it)
yul be itchy (v)