Reformed Klingon

Reformed Klingon

Vowels
Consonants
     Labials, Coronals, Dorsals, Glottals, Affricates
The Tower of Babel - Sample text
     Old version, New version
The current Klingon "orthography" was made for the Star Trek scripts with the purpose of being simple to read and get right for the anglophone actors. But as this is, in my eyes, more of a way of transcribing it easily for anglophones than a real orthography, I used an evening at an attempt at reforming it so that it would look more original.

The presentation below follows the following pattern:

Old spelling New spelling /sound value in X-SAMPA/ Explanation if there is any

Vowels [Return to top]

a a /A/
e e /E/
I i /I/ No reason to have a capital I when there is no small i.
o o /o/
u u /u/

Consonants [Return to top]

Labials [Return to top]

p p /p_h/
b b /b/
v v /v/
m m /m/

Coronals [Return to top]

t t /t_h/
D d /d`/ No reason to have a capital D when there is no small d.
D d /n`/ (allophone of /d`/)
n n /n/
r r /r/
S s /s`/ No reason to have a capital S when there is no small s.
l l /l/

Dorsals [Return to top]

q q /q_h/
ng nh /N/ To avoid confusion with n+g. There are several n+g pairs but few or no n+h
H k /x/ No reason to use H when there is no h. k is not used and is usually used to designate a velar consonant anyway. Forms a good pair with g.
gh g /G/ Unneccesary letter combination. Why gh when there is no g?
y y /j/
w w /w/

Glottals [Return to top]

' h /?/ Aesthetical; h looks more like a real letter than '. Also, h is not used and is usually used to designate a glottal sound anyway.

Affricates [Return to top]

ch c /tS/ Unneccesary letter combination. Why ch when there is no c?
j j /dZ/
tlh tl /tK/ The final -h is unneccesary.
Q qk /qX/ q /q/ + k /x/

The Tower of Babel - Sample Text [Return to top]

Old version [Return to top]

1. 'ej wa' Hol wa' QIch je qo' naQ.

2. 'ej qaS: chanvo' lengDI', SInar yoSDaq HuD beQ lutu', 'ej naDev luDab.

3. 'ej jatlhchuq chaH: Ha', naghmey DIchenmoHnIS 'ej DImeQnISchu'. 'ej SomvaD naghmey HuHvaD lam je lughaj.

4. 'ej jatlh chaH: Ha', veng qachquv je wIchenmoHqang 'ej chalDaq SIchjaj yorDaj. maHvaD pong manobqang, tera' naQ ghorDaq maghomHa'be'meH.

5. 'ej veng qachquv, chenmoHta'bogh tera'ngan puqpu', leghmeH chol Qun.

6. 'ej jatlh Qun: toH, wa' nugh chaH, 'ej wa' Hol lughajtaH chaH, 'ej bI'reS neH 'oH Dochvam'e'. 'ej DaH chaHvaD qItHa' luvang luneHbogh pagh.

7. toH, macholjaj 'ej Holchaj mamISmoHmeH, yaj'eghlaHbe'meH.

8. vaj pa'vo' tera' naQ ghorDaq ghomHa' Qun, 'ej vang luchenmoHchu'Qo'.

9. wanI'vammo' babel 'oH pongDaj'e', pa'Daq tera' naQ Hol mISmoHpu'mo' Qun, 'ej pa'vo' tera' naQ ghorDaq ghomHa'pu' Qun.

New version [Return to top]

1. hej wah kol wah qkic je qoh naqk.

2. hej qas: canvoh lenhdih, sinar yosdaq kud beqk lutuh, hej nadev ludab.

3. hej jatlcuq cak: kah, nagmey dicenmoknis hej dimeqkniscuh. hej somvad nagmey kukvad lam je lugaj.

4. hej jatl cak: kah, venh qacquv je wicenmokqanh hej caldaq sicjaj yordaj. makvad ponh manobqanh, terah naqk gordaq magomkahbehmek.

5. hej venh qacquv, cenmoktahbog terahnhan puqpuh, legmek col qkun.

6. hej jatl qkun: tok, wah nug cak, hej wah kol lugajtak cak, hej bihres nek hok docvamheh. hej dak cakvad qitkah luvanh lunekbog pag.

7. tok, macoljaj hej kolcaj mamismokmek, yajheglakbehmek.

8. vaj pahvoh terah naqk gordaq gomkah qkun, hej vanh lucenmokcuhqkoh.

9. wanihvammoh babel hok ponhdajheh, pahdaq terah naqk kol mismokpuhmoh qkun, hej pahvoh terah naqk gordaq gomkahpuh qkun.

08/2006 af Aszev