tlhIngan Hol

Klingon

Constructed (artistic)

FamilyConstructed (artistic) Speakers~30 fluent ScriptpIqaD / Latin CountriesWorldwide (fandom) Official inNone Vitalitycritically endangered ISO 639-3tlh

Also known as: Klingon, tlhIngan Hol

Klingon (tlhIngan Hol) is a constructed language created by linguist Marc Okrand for the Star Trek franchise (Star Trek III: 1984), now spoken fluently by perhaps a few dozen people. Designed deliberately to be alien-sounding: OVS word order (rare typologically), ejective consonants, no copula "to be", and a tripartite verbal-prefix system encoding subject and object. Has produced translations of Hamlet, Tao Te Ching, and the Bible. Recognized by the ISO 639-3 standard (tlh). Klingon Language Institute (KLI) since 1992.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Klingon

Water

bIQ

bɪq

Fire

qul

qʰul

Sun

jul

dʒul

Moon

maS

mɑʂ

Star

Hov

χov

Night

ram

ram

Rain

SIS

ʂɪʂ

Snow

chal chuch

tʃɑl tʃutʃ

Wind

SuS

ʂuʂ

Earth

yav

jav

Stone

nagh

naɣ

Mountain

HuD

xuɖ

Sea

bIQ'a'

bɪqʔaʔ

Mother

SoS

ʂoʂ

Father

vav

vɑv

Daughter

puqbe'

puqbɛʔ

I

jIH

dʒɪx

You

SoH

ʂoχ

We

maH

mɑx

Name

pong

poŋ

Person

nuv

nuv

Head

nach

natʃ

Eye

mIn

mɪn

Ear

qogh

qoɣ

Nose

ghIch

ɣɪtʃ

Mouth

nuj

nudʒ

Tooth

Ho'

xoʔ

Tongue

jat

dʒat

Hand

ghop

ɣopʰ

Foot

qam

qʰam

Heart

tIq

tʰɪqʰ

Bone

Hom

xom

Blood

'Iw

ʔɪw

Love

parmaq

pʰɑrmɑqʰ

Tree

Sor

ʂor

Dog

Ha'DIbaH

xaʔɖɪbax

Cat

vIghro'

vɪɣroʔ

Fish

ghotI'

ɣotɪʔ

Bird

bo'Degh

boʔɖɛɣ

Butterfly

Su'wan ghew

ʂuʔwan ɣɛw

Egg

QIm

qɪm

House

juH

dʒux

Milk

nIm

nɪm

Honey

DayqIr

ɖajqɪr

Salt

qut na'

qut naʔ

Rice

—

—

Chocolate

yuch

jutʃ

Iron

'uSqan

ʔuʂqan

Wheel

rutlh

rutɬ

Silk

manta' ma'lI'

mantaʔ maʔlɪʔ

Book

paq

pʰaqʰ

Eat

Sop

ʂopʰ

Drink

tlhutlh

tɬʰutɬʰ

Sleep

Qong

qʰoŋ

One

wa'

wɑʔ

Two

cha'

tʃaʔ

Three

wej

wɛdʒ

Four

loS

loʂ

Five

vagh

vaɣ

Hundred

vatlh

vatɬ

Hello

nuqneH

nuqʰnɛx

Thank you

qatlho'

qʰɑtɬʰoʔ

Good

QaQ

qɑq

New

chu'

tʃuʔ

Red

Doq

ɖoq

White

chIS

tʃɪʂ

Black

qIj

qɪdʒ

Green

SuD

ʂuɖ

Blue

SuD

ʂuɖ

Coffee

qa'vIn

qʰɑʔvɪn

Sugar

Su'ghar qut

ʂuʔɣar qut

Orange

tera' na'ran

tʰɛraʔ naʔran

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Constructed (artistic)

Meaning KlingonMruWaParauk WaMadureseUbykhSquamish
Water bIQ /bɪq/ o /ɔ/ rawm /rɔm/ rom /rɔm/ aèng /aɛŋ/ bzə /bzə/ stáḵw /staqʷ/
Fire qul /qʰul/ mai /mɑɪ/ ngu /ŋu/ ngū /ŋṳ/ apoy /apɔj/ mzʼə /mzʼə/ sḵwiḵw /sqʷiqʷ/
Sun jul /dʒul/ thum /tʰum/ singaix /siŋaiʔ/ si ngāix /siŋa̤iʔ/ are /are/ dəɣʷa /dəɣʷa/ snéḵwem /sneqʷəm/
Moon maS /mɑʂ/ la /lə/ khix /kʰiʔ/ kix /kʰiʔ/ bulan /bulan/ mazə /mazə/ lh7álha /ɬʔaɬa/
Star Hov /χov/ kɯr /kɯr/ simuing /simʔuɲ/ sim uing /sim ʔuɲ/ bintang /bintaŋ/ tʃʷʼakʲ /tʃʷʼakʲʼ/ kwekwtsi7 /kʷəkʷtsiʔ/
Night ram /ram/ yak /jak/ ponsawm /ponsɔm/ som /sɔm/ malem /maləm/ śwa /ɕʷa/ nat /nat/
Rain SIS /ʂɪʂ/ — lhiex /l̥ɛʔ/ hliex /lʰɛʔ/ ojhân /ɔdʒʱɤn/ — —
Snow chal chuch /tʃɑl tʃutʃ/ — rhax /r̥aʔ/ hra /rʰa/ salju /saldʒu/ źʷadzə /ʑʷadzə/ máḵa7 /maqaʔ/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Klingon
jIH Sut vIlegh Daq mIpwI' retlh qach vInIH vIneH
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 で 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
我 想 试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 里 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with languages in the same classification

Klingon
jIH Sut vIlegh Daq mIpwI' retlh qach vInIH vIneH
Mi volas provi kostumon kiun mi vidis en vendejo kontraŭ la hotelo
mi djica le nu dasni le taxfu poi mi viska bu'u le zarci crane le xotli
mi wile alasa len mi lukin lon esun poka tomo awen

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