: -*- html -*-
updated: 2015-04-05T19:03:47+0200
created: 1998-02-26
author: zrajm
year: 1998-2012
lang: en
script: sorttable.js
up: ..

A Quick Reference to Colors in Klingon
======================================
In November 2010, with the release of *Talk Now! Eurotalk Klingon*, we got a
whole bunch of new words and expression, and with them quite a few new
expressions concerning colours. These new expressions have been included below.

Let's begin with this color cheat sheet by Roger Cheesbro:

<figure>
  <a href="pic/color.gif"><img src="pic/color_m.gif" height=100 width=474></a>
</figure>

There is no noun in Klingon meaning “color”, but there is a verb {nguv} which
means <<be dyed, stained, tinted>>. This word is seldom used without the suffix
{-moH} (as in {quS nguvmoH} <<He stains the chair>>) except in the phrase
{chay' nguv} <<How is it tinted?>> (The usual way of asking what color
something is.) <small>[KGT p.82]</small>

<table class=sortable>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Klingon
      <th>English
      <th>Source
  </thead>
  <tr>
    <td>{nguv}
    <td><<be dyed, be stained, be tinted>> (v)
    <td><small>[KGT]</small>
</table>

There are only four distinct words for different colors (including {qIj}
<<black>> and {chIS} <<white>>) in Klingon. These, for the most part, are all
that is used in everyday language -- there is rarely any need for more, since
there are almost always other ways than hue to distinguish between objects.

<table class=sortable>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Klingon
      <th>English
      <th>Source
  </thead>
  <tr>
    <td sorttable_customkey=dnp>{Doq}
    <td><<be orange, be red>> (v)
    <td><small>[TKD]</small>
  <tr>
    <td sorttable_customkey=svd>{SuD}
    <td><<be green, be blue, be yellow>> (v)
    <td><small>[TKD]</small>
  <tr>
    <td sorttable_customkey=chs>{chIS}
    <td><<be white>> (v)
    <td><small>[TKD]</small>
  <tr>
    <td sorttable_customkey=phi>{qIj}
    <td><<be black>> (v)
    <td><small>[TKD]</small>
  <tr>
    <td sorttable_customkey=gvrf>{Hurgh}
    <td><<be dark>> (v)
    <td><small>[TKD]</small>
  <tr>
    <td sorttable_customkey=xnw>{wov}
    <td><<be light, be bright>> (v)
    <td><small>[TKD]</small>
  <caption>The Klingon basic color words.</caption>
</table>

One way of being more specific is to use the {-qu'} <<emphatic>> suffix, this
has the advantage that the word still can be used adjectivally (as in for
example {HIq Doqqu'} <<red liquor>>) this can not be done with the other
lengthier methods of describing colors.

<table class=sortable>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Klingon
      <th>English
      <th>Source
  </thead>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doqqu'}
    <td>“a color more red than orange” (v)
    <td><small>[KGT p.82]</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{SuDqu'}
    <td>“would probably be described as ‘green’” (v)
    <td><small>[KGT p.82]</small>
  <caption>Expressing colors with the {-qu'} <<emphatic>> suffix.</caption>
</table>

One may also use the words for <<light>> and <<dark>> to describe colors in
whole sentences (such as {SuD 'ej wov} for <<it is {SuD} and light>> -- {'ach}
<<but>> is also heard instead of {'ej}). To describe yellow tea, a sentence
like {SuDbogh Dargh 'ej wovbogh} <<The tea that is {SuD} and light>> would be
used.

<table class=sortable>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Klingon
      <th>English
      <th>Source
  </thead>
  <tr>
    <td>{SuD 'ej wov} or {SuD 'ach wov}
    <td>“a yellowish tinge”
    <td><small>[KGT p.82]</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{SuD 'ej wov} or {SuD 'ach wov}
    <td><<light blue>>
    <td><small>[Eurotalk]</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doq 'ej wovbe'}
    <td><<brown>>
    <td><small>[HQ8:1 p.7; Eurotalk]</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doq 'ej wov} or {Doq 'ach wov}
    <td><<light red>> or <<orange>>
    <td><small>NON-CANON</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{SuD 'ej Hurgh} or {SuD 'ach Hurgh}
    <td><<dark blue>>
    <td><small>[Eurotalk]</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doq 'ej Hurgh} or {Doq 'ach Hurgh}
    <td><<brown>> or <<brownish>>
    <td><small>NON-CANON</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doqqu' 'ej wov}
      or {Doqqu' 'ach wov}
    <td><<pink>>
    <td><small>[Eurotalk]</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{SuDqu' 'ej wov}
      or {SuDqu' 'ach wov}
    <td><<light green>>
    <td><small>NON-CANON</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{SuDqu' 'ej Hurgh}
      or {SuDqu' 'ach Hurgh}
    <td><<dark green>>
    <td><small>NON-CANON</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doqqu' 'ej Hurgh}
      or {Doqqu' 'ach Hurgh}
    <td><<dark red>>
    <td><small>NON-CANON</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{qIj 'ej wov}
      or {qIj 'ach wov}
    <td><<gray>>
    <td><small>[Eurotalk]</small>
  <caption>Expressing colors using {wov} <<be light, bright>> and {Hurgh}
    <<be dark>>.</caption>
</table>

The color violet, or purple, is not actually a Klingon color. <i>Klingon for
the Galactic Traveler</i> has the following to say on the subject: “The fact
that neither {SuD} nor {Doq} includes what is called ‘violet’ or ‘purple’ in
Federation Standard may be related to Klingon physiology---that is, exactly how
the Klingon eye processes different wavelengths of
light.” <small>[KGT pp.82--83]</small>

Irregardless of this, the color <<purple>> was still included in the Eurotalk
language course (which had a decidedly Earth-centric view, e.g. including names
of several Terran countries for example):

<table class=sortable>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Klingon
      <th>English
      <th>Source
  </thead>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doq 'ej SuD}
    <td><<violet>> or <<purple>>
    <td><small>Eurotalk</small>
  <caption>A non-Klingon color. Klingons probably cannot perceive the
    “violet” or “purple”. <small>[KGT p.82; Eurotalk]</small></caption>
</table>

Generally, when one needs to be more specific, the item in question is compared
to something else that typically has this color. Here is a table of such
expressions given to us in canon.

<table class=sortable>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Klingon
      <th>English
      <th>Source
  </thead>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doq 'ej beqpuj rur}
    <td><<be {Doq} and resemble bekpuj>>
      <br>(a common mineral that is bright orange)
    <td><small>[KGT p.82]</small>
  <tr>
    <td>{Doq 'ej Qaj wuS rur}
    <td><<be {Doq} and resemble kradge lips>>
      <br>(lips of the kradge are a particular shade of brown)
    <td><small>[HQ8:1 p.7]</small>
  <caption>Expressing colors with similies.</caption>
</table>

If you want to know more about how colors are expressed in different languages,
and how this relate to Klingon, read the article “Klingon Colours” by Nick
Nicholas, published in Klingon Language Institute's quarterly journal {HolQeD}
5:2 (<time datetime="1996-06">June 1996</time>). The further explanation of the
color brown can also be found in {HolQeD} 8:1 (<time datetime="1999-03">March
1999</time>) in an article called “[Maltz
Online](../canon/1999-03-holqed-08-1.txt)”.

{HolQeD} may be purchased from [The Klingon Language
Institute](http://www.kli.org).

[[eof]]