2014-11-09

Clipped Klingon, Part 2 - Talking Back

Previously, we looked at Clipped Klingon and its use in giving commands. Essentially, the use of Clipped Klingon is similar to how orders are given in a battle in a human armed force. During a briefing or debriefing, a unit is instructed in proper Klingon:

Hoch Dopmeyvo' jagh ghom wIHIvnISWe need to attack the enemy unit from all sides
DaHjaj DoS wej pagh wej wIcharghnISWe need to secure Target 303 today
ngaq 'oH Qu'maj'e'Our mission is support
qach SochDaq nov ghom yISevContain the alien unit within Building Seven
wImaghlu'We are betrayed

However, in the heat of battle the commands are more terse:-

Hoch Dop jagh ghom HIvnISEnemy unit - all sides - attack
DoS wej pagh wej charghSecure Target 303
ngaq Qu'majOur mission is support
qach Soch nov ghom SevContain alien unit - Building Seven
maghlu'We are betrayed

Clipped Klingon is also used in the context of delivering responses and status reports, often in reply to the Clipped Klingon command

ja'!Report!

(Proper Klingon: yIja'! Report!)

In Clipped Klingon, once again, the prefixes tend to be dropped, leaving the bare verb.

yajchu', qaHUnderstood, Sir
chu'ta'(device) Activated
chu'Ha'ta'(device) Deactivated
Sevlu'(enemy) Contained
ghoch(target) Tracking
Qeq(target) Locked

Proper Klingon

jIyajchu', qaHI understand, Sir
jen vIchu'ta'I have activated the device
jen vIchu'Ha'ta'I have deactivated the device
jagh Sevlu'The enemy is contained
DoS vIghochtaHTracking target
DoS vIQeqtaHTarget locked

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