Adjectives
The Dictionary by Marc Okrand states that there are no adjectives in Klingon. In fact there are adjectives just as much as there are verbs. However, depending on their position within the sentence depends on whether they are acting as an adjective or verb. It could just as easily be said that Klingon adjectives are also used as verbs, but translated to include the Terran verb ‘to-be’, depending on its position in the sentence.
Verbs acting adjectivally always follow a noun, which they modify. If the noun is the object of the sentence then it will also be followed by another verb. If the noun is the subject of the sentence then the verb acting adjectivally will follow the second noun. The following examples might make it a little clearer as to determining when the word has been used as a verb or an adjective.
n1 v1 v2 n2 - In this sentence v1 is the adjective of n1. and v2 is the main verb.
n1 v1 n2 v2 - This construction is not quite so clear as v1 could be the main verb with v2 acting adjectivally to n2 (as the subject). However, the
construction could just as easily be a complex noun e.g., Duj tIn nuHmey chIm - ‘the big ships empty arsenal’.
The moral of this story is, every sentence should be judged on it own merits and if you don’t understand say so; jIyajbe’ or nuq jatlh are simple phrases to remember and blurt out. Especially, if you see the other beings trigger finger start to twitch. Just be ready to
dodge the occasional disruptor blast.
Remember: no one ever said that Klingon was for the faint hearted and students aren’t called ‘language warriors’ for nothing.
Verbs | Lexicon Entries
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