Family terms

The general term for "kinsperson, family member" is pal'ar.

Klingon Translation Source
be'nal wife TKD
be'nI' sister TKD
loDnal husband TKD
loDnI' brother TKD
'Ipnal spouse qep'a' 2021
qongmeS sibling qepHom 2021
lor cousin [i.e. cross-cousin] HolQeD v9n3
lorbe' female cousin, niece HolQeD v9n3
lorloD male cousin, nephew HolQeD v9n3
me' aunt (mother's sister) HolQeD v9n3
me'nal aunt (mother's brother's wife) HolQeD v9n3
nal [not defined] -
puq child TKD
puqnI' grandchild HolQeD v9n3
puqnI'be' granddaughter HolQeD v9n3
puqnI'loD grandson HolQeD v9n3
qorDu' family TKD
SoS mother TKD
SoSnI' grandmother TKD
tennuS uncle (father's brother) HolQeD v9n3
tennuSnal uncle (father's sister husband) HolQeD v9n3
tey' cousin (child of tennuS or me') HolQeD v9n3
tey'be' female cousin HolQeD v9n3
tey'loD male cousin HolQeD v9n3
vav father TKD
vavnI' grandfather TKD
vIn lor or tey' HolQeD v9n3
yur distant cousin HolQeD v9n3
'e'mam aunt (father's sister) HolQeD v9n3
'e'mamnal aunt (father's brother's wife) HolQeD v9n3
'IrneH uncle (mother's brother) HolQeD v9n3
'IrneHnal uncle (mother's sister's husband) HolQeD v9n3

  • The second part of of some of these words nI' appears in several family terms, but it is not clear what its literal meaning is.
  • The word part nal seems to be related to being married, but does not have a standalone meaning.

Organized by gender

Term Female Male Gender neutral
parent SoS vav qaytu'
grand-parent SoSnI' vavnI'
child puqbe' puqloD puq
spouse be'nal loDnal 'Ipnal
sibling be'nI' loDnI' qongmeS
parallel cousin/nephew tey'be' tey'loD tey'
cross cousin/nephew lorbe' lorloD lor
same-sex parental sibling me' tennuS
cross-sex parental sibling 'e'mam 'IrneH

General Relationship chart

Family general.png

Relationship chart

Some terms are used differently, depending on whether the speakers is male or female. Most terms are identical, but the words for "niece" and "nephew" change depending on whether the speaker is male or female. When written down, it seems quite confusing, but when diplayed in a drawn chart, the relationships actually seem quite logical.

if the speaker is a woman

Family woman.png

if the speaker is a man

Family man.png



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