Klingon Grammar: Suffixes
Created | Updated Jun 28, 2004
Possessive Suffixes:
wIj = My --- maj = Our --- Ij = Your --- raj = Your (plural) --- Daj = His/Her/Its --- chaj = Their. Note that this is to be added to the end of the word. Ex. juH = Home --> juHwIj = My Home OR juHlIj = Your Home. When the thing being possessed id referring to a being capable of speech a few of the suffixes change. wI’ = My --- ma’ = Our --- lI’ = Your --- ra’ = Your (plural). Ex. joHwI’ = My Lord OR puqlI’ = Your Child.
Possession:
When we wish to indicate that one noun is in possession of another we do not use any suffix at all. The two nouns are said in order from possessor to possessed. Ex. jagh nuH = Enemies Weapon. Two different suffixes are uses to indicate how close the speaker is to the object: this and that.
THIS:
The ending –vam indicates that the object being referred to is nearby. Ex. nuHvam = this weapon (near to the speaker as they speak) OR yuQvam = this planet (that the speaker has been talking about). When you use the –vam ending with a plural noun it is translated as these. Ex. nuHmeyvam = these weapons (notice that the –mey ending comes before the –vam ending).
THAT:
This indicates that the noun is not something nearby, nor is it something being brought up again in conversation. The ending used for this is –vetlh. Ex. nuHvetlh = that weapon (over there, not near the speaker) OR yuQvetlh = that planet (as apposed to the one we were just talking about). When used with a plural noun it is translated as those. Ex. nuHmeyvetlh = those weapons (notice that again the plural ending –mey comes before the possessive ending –vetlh).
Locative:
This indicates something is happening or has happened or will happen in the vicinity of the object being spoken about. For this we use the ending –Daq. Ex. pa’Daq jIHtaH = I’m in the room (pa’ = room and jIHtaH = I am) OR pa’ Daq yIjah- Go to the room!
Locations:
Dung = Area Above --- pa’ = Thereabouts --- DungDaq = Overhead --- Dat = Everywhere --- naDev = hereabouts. Three of these are never followed by a locative suffix. These three are naDev, pa’, and Dat. The locative is not need when using the word ghoS = approach/proceed. Ex. Duj ghoStaH = it is approaching the planet. (Duj = Vessel/Ship and ghoStaH = it is approaching it) OR yuQ wIghoStaH = we are proceeding toward the planet (yuQ = planet andwIghoStaH = we are proceeding toward it). Therefore if the locative suffix is used it is not actually wrong it is just superfluous. Ex. DujDaq ghoStaH = it is approaching toward the ship, it could not very well be approaching away from the ship that would not make sense so we need not also use the locative suffix Daq. The ending –vo = from is almost the opposite of the ending –Daq. –vo is used when the action is in a direction away from the noun. Ex. pa’vo yIjaH = leave the room (or more literally go away from the room). The ending –mo’ = because of-due to. Ex. If a flag was flying in a breeze you might say SuSmo’ joqtaH = it is fluttering in the breeze (more literally due to the breeze it [the flag] is fluttering. The ending –vaD = for/intended for. Ex. Qu’vaD = this information is usefull for the mission (Qu’vaD = for the mission. The –vaD indicates that that the information is intended to be used in the mission being talked of). The ending –‘e’ = topic, it emphasizes that the noun is the topic of the sentence. In English this may be accomplished by stressing the noun that is the topic of the sentence. Ex. lujpu’ jIH = I have failed --> lujpu’ jIH’e’ = I, and only I, have failed OR De’vItlhapnISpu’ = I needed to get the information --> De’’e’ vItlhapnISpu’ = I needed to get that INFORMATION! It was the information (and not something else) that I needed.
Ordering the Suffixes:
When a noun has more than one suffix the suffixes must go in a certain order.
Examples
QaghHommeyHeylIjmo’ = due to your apparent minor errors (Quagh = (noun) error, -Hom = diminutive, -mey = plural, -Hey = apparent, -lIj = your, -mo’ = due to). --- Pa’wIjDaq = in my quarters (pa’ = (noun) room, -wIj = my, -Daq = locative). --- Duypu’qoqchaj = their so called emissaries (Duy = (noun) emissary, -pu’ = plural, -qoq = so-called, chaj = their). --- quamDu’wIjDaq = at my feet (qam = (noun) foot, -Du’ = plural, -wIj = my, -Daq = locative). rojHom’e’ = the truce (as a topic) (roj = (noun) peace, -Hom = diminutive, -‘e’ = topic).
Small Disclaimer
Please note that it is with a large thank you to Marc Orkand and his Klingon Dictionary that this entry is made possible. This is not in anyway meant to step on anyones toes, and this entry could not have been made possible without 'The Klingon Dictionary'.
