This unit teaches the suffix -mo' and another use of the verb suffix -Qo' which we have seen before.

-mo'

The suffix -mo' means because (of) and appears as either a noun suffix or a verb suffix. Klingon linguists treat these as two separate suffixes, one type 5 noun suffix and one type 9 verb suffix. Most of the suffixes are unique and the few that do look similar have completely different uses and meanings (-pu' on a noun is a plural and on a verb indicates it is perfective, -lI' on a noun is a possessive and on a verb indicates it is in progress). Grammatically we separate the noun suffix -mo' from the verb suffix -mo', but they both occur as the last suffix on a word (whether a noun or a verb) and they both mean because (when we use this noun suffix we often add of to the English translation).

As an example of using the noun suffix -mo', from vavwI' my father we can form vavwI'mo' because of my father. As an example of using the verb suffix -mo', from jIghung I am hungry we can form jIghungmo' because I am hungry.

If a noun is followed by an adjectival verb, then the -mo' ending goes on the adjectival verb; for example, vavwI' HoSmo' because of my strong father. Be careful to note that HoS cannot have a grammatical object and so has to be acting adjectivally here. Thus this cannot be the verb suffix -mo' and must be the noun suffix -mo' even though it appears to be on a verb.

Whether being used on a noun or a verb, -mo' is always the last suffix. A noun marked with -mo' (or a noun phrase consisting of noun + adjectival verb + -mo') must appear before the object-verb-subject structure of the sentence. When -mo' is placed on the verb of a complete clause, the whole -mo' clause may be placed before or after the main clause of which it is indicating the cause. Be careful to pay attention to the order of the verb clauses. Since they can be in either order in both languages, we require you to translate them in the same order as presented.

-Qo'

The verb suffix -Qo' has come up on imperatives (command forms) before, where it turns the command into a negative: Don't …! This can also be interpreted as Refuse to …!

When the verb is not imperative, the -Qo' suffix can also be used to mean refuse.

For example, from qagh Sop tera'ngan The Terran eats gagh we get qagh SopQo' tera'ngan The Terran refuses to eat gagh.

On non-imperative verbs the -Qo' suffix is often translated simply with the words will not or won't (only as an indication of refusal and not as a reference to future tense). So qagh SopQo' tera'ngan can also be translated as The Terran won't eat gagh.

There is a subtle difference here from regular negation with -be'. Compare:

qagh Sopbe' tera'ngan. The Terran doesn't eat gagh.
qagh SopQo' tera'ngan. The Terran won't eat gagh.

You may remember, from "Give Commands", that the -Qo' suffix is officially classified as a rover, but does not actually rove. In that unit you were told that the -Qo' suffix would always come last, but there were exceptions. These exceptions occur when using -Qo' on non-imperative sentences.

Any type 9 syntactic verb suffix will always occur after the -Qo' suffix. The type 9 syntactic verb suffixes that you have learned in this or prior units are the -'a' interrogative verb suffix, the -chugh if verb suffix, and the -mo' because verb suffix presented above. Thus to ask, Does the Terran refuse to eat gagh? a Klingon might ask, qagh SopQo"a' tera'ngan? Or to say, If you won't buy, then you will die, a Klingon might say, bIje'Qo'chugh vaj bIHegh. Or, the customer having already failed to make a purchase, the Klingon might say, bIje'pu'Qo'mo' DaH bIHegh Because you have refused to buy, now you will die.