Make Basic Sentences
Prefixes
Remember that in grammar, a subject is the one doing the action and an object is the one the action is done to. Remember also that Klingon verbs show the subject and the object of verbs by means of prefixes. One prefix shows both who the subject is and who the object is. There are different prefixes to show the different combinations of subject and object.
You have already learned a few prefixes that indicate there is no object.
- jI- = I (subject), no object
- bI- = you (subject), no object — for one person
- ma- = we (subject), no object
- Su- = you (subject), no object — for multiple people
Even the absence if a prefix gives us information about the subject and object. When there is no prefix, the subject must be third person (i.e. not me and not you), so he/she/it/they and the object must either be no object or also third person (him/her/it/them). Because the absence of a prefix gives us information about the subject and object, just as an actual prefix would, Klingon speakers will often refer to that absent prefix as if it were a type of prefix and so it is called the null prefix.
- lu- = them (subject), he/she/it (object)
- vI- = I (subject), him/her/it/them (object)
- Da- = you (subject), him/her/it/them (object) — for one person
Verb and Noun suffixes
Meaning is also added to Klingon words through use of syllables added to the ends of words, called suffixes. You will occasionally encounter a word with more than one suffix. Klingon linguists categorize these suffixes according to which ones cannot occur together and what order they must occur in. Verbs have 10 suffix types and generally only one suffix can occur from each type, but if you have one from each type, plus a prefix, you would have a very complicated verb!
Nouns have 5 suffix classes and you can only have one suffix of each type. Klingon nouns can still get pretty complicated even with only 5 suffixes.
The types of the suffixes are numbered because they may only occur in the order of their numbers. A type 1 suffix must always occur before a type 4 suffix. This course will not be quizing you on the suffix types and it attempts to teach you the proper order through drilling and familiarity rather than through memorizing the types. None the less, we will generally mention the suffix type in the Tips, in case you find it helpful or want to make a note of it.
Plurals
English plurals are a good example of using suffixes. In English an -s or an -es is generally added to the end of the noun to make it plural. Klingon plurals are formed in a similar fashion to the English method of forming plurals. In Klingon a -pu', -Du', or -mey is added to the end of the noun. These are the "Type 2" noun suffixes.
Nearly all Klingon nouns belong to one of three groups, depending on which "Type 2" noun suffix they use to form their plural:
- Beings capable of using language have a plural in -pu'
- Body parts have a plural in -Du'
- Everything else (including inanimate objects, robots, and animals) have a plural in -mey.
There are only a handful of exceptions where nouns have completely separate plurals, a bit like English "person / people".
In this unit, you will come across some nouns that refer to beings capable of using language: "man, woman, child". These therefore form their plural in -pu':
| Singular (EN) | Singular (tlh) | Plural (EN) | Plural (tlh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| woman | be' | women | be'pu' |
| man | loD | men | loDpu' |
| child | puq | children | puqpu' |
Plural suffixes in Klingon are optional and can be left off. A noun without one of these suffixes might still be plural. In the following units, you may come across sentences where there is no plural suffix and only the nearby grammar tells you that a noun must be plural.
Joining two sentences with "and"
In the previous skills you learned that nouns are joined with je — remember that it comes after the two nouns, as in torgh mara je "Torg and Mara".
To join two sentences with "and" a different word is used: 'ej. This word is placed between the sentences. For example, "I run" (jIqet) + "I jump" (jISup) can become "I run and I jump" (jIqet 'ej jISup).
'ej is only for joining sentences or verb phrases together, not nouns — you cannot say torgh 'ej mara, for example.
Vocabulary
loD – man, male (n)
be' – woman, female (n)
loDpu' – men (n)
be'pu' – women (n)
puqpu' – children (n)
qet – run (v)
yIt – walk (v)
