paq'batlh Ancient Klingon

At first sight, the ancient Klingon used in the first three chapters of paq'batlh looks like random letters without any structure. A closer look and the comparaison with the given English translation reveals that this ancient Klingon really has a clear structure.

Analysis

The following table shows a direct transition of the words into modern Klingon, without respect to the word order.

Ancient Klingon	modern Klingon
1. Dor
tog'Det q'uti qoolit	taghDI' Hoch Qaw'lu'
'usru Dya 'qinmaa Dya q'op Dya at	HoS je Qunmey je Hap je 'ej
q'uty qoot'ag'	Hoch Qaw''egh
teq 'qinmaa tyanmaq'	tIq Qunmey chenmoH
qil Dya bosru Dya [...]	qul je baS je
tlhengon	tlhIngan
[...] tubba'lit	tobbe'lu'
[...] teq tyot lityanmaq	tIq cha'DIch luchenmoH
[...] qoD [...]	qaD
[...] 'ug'ubtyiq	ghobchuq
netabq'ot 'usrutyeDi pog' 'eDyayloq'	nItebHa' HoSchaj pagh jeylaH
'qinmaa meqoot	Qunmey Qaw'
2. pagh
Doq' tyemtoq'g'oty tyo teqmaa sye'q	DaH chImtaHghach cha' tIqmey SIQ
syisi teqmaa lig'ub	SuS tIqmey lughob
'ach juqmut wob g'irDet	'ach joqmo' wab gherDI'
Dyav q'usru g'ir Dya	jev HoS gher je
quq' syisi vivbat	qoH SuS vuvbe'
[...] mu'qberet tunsroot teqmaa metyanmuq'	moQbara' tonSaw' tIqmey chenmoH
[...] lub [...]	lob
teq nev	tIq nIv
teqmaaDoDi jotlhDet	tIqmeyDaj jatlhDI'
'ewDoDi tlhipDet	'IwDaj tlhupDI'
tlhengon 'eDinesru	tlhIngan 'IjnIS
3. tagh
Durmut	Dormo'
tog'	tagh
tyan [...]	chen
[...] 'ulil	lul
moy' qitqitmut	may' qu'qu'mo'
q'op srim sribtyuq	Hap Sum SubchoH
qom bengDoq 'uq'bug' Doq lipung	qam bIngDaq 'oHbogh Daq lupong
'qi'tu' lipung	QI'tu' lupong

Grammar

• Sentence order is object-subject-verb.
• There is only one plural form: -maa, which is -mey in modern Klingon.
• There is a prefix me- for they-them which has no modern counterpart.
• There is a prefix 'u- for they-(none) which has no modern counterpart.

Transliteration

Comparing with known Klingon vocabulary, most cases of different spelling can be deduced. Not all letters can be conversed one-to-one.

Vowels

Not all vowels are transposed in the same way.

a	➞	a
aa	➞	ey
e	➞	a or I
i	➞	I or u
o	➞	a
oo	➞	aw
u	➞	u or o

Consonants

In some cases, a word ending with [t] ends with an apostrophe in modern Klingon.

ty	➞	ch
Di	➞	j
Dy	➞	j
Det	➞	DI'
g'	➞	gh
q'	➞	H
q	➞	q
'q	➞	Q
s	➞	S
sr	➞	S
sy	➞	S

[sru] only appears at the end of a syllable.

Vocabulary

'ach	'ach	but
at	'ej	and
beng-Doq	bIng-Daq	at the below
bosru	baS	metal
Doq	Daq	place
Doq'	DaH	now
Dur	Dor	end
Dya	je	and
Dyav	jev	storm
'eDi-nesru	'Ij-nIS	must listen
'eDyay-loq'	jey-laH	can defeat
'ew-DoDi	'Iw-Daj	their blood
g'ir-Det	ghIrDI'	when it compiles
jotlh-Det	jatlh-DI'	when it speaks
juq-mut	joq-mo'	because it flaps
li-g'ub	lu-ghob	they fight it
li-pung	lu-pong	they name it
li-tyan-maq	lu-chen-moH	they create it
lub	lob	obey
me-qoot	Qaw'	they destroy them
me-tyan-muq'	chen-moH	they create them
moy'	may'	battle
mu'qberet	moQbara'	Mok'bara
mut	-mo'	because
netab-q'ot	nItebHa'	combined, together
nev	nIv	superior
pog'	pagh	zero, nobody
qil	qul	fire
qit-qit	qu'qu'	very fierce
qoD	qaD	challenge
qom	qam	foot
qoot-'ag'	Qaw'-'egh	destroys itself
quq'	qoH	fool
q'op	Hap	matter
q'usru	HoS	power
q'uty(i)	Hoch	everything
'qin-maa	Qun-mey	gods
'qi'tu'	QI'tu'	Paradise
'qoo-lit	Qaw'-lu'	is destroyed
srib	Sub	be solid
srim	Sum	be close
sye'q	SIQ	experience
syisi	SuS	wind
teq-maa-DoDi	tIq-mey-Daj	their hearts
tlhengon	tlhIngan	Klingon
tlhip-Det	tlhup-DI'	when it whispers
tog'-Det	tagh-DI'	when it begins
tub-ba'-lit	tob-be'-lu'	is not tested
tunsroot	tonSaw'	martial arts movement
tyan-maq'	chen-moH	create
tyem-toq'-g'oty	chIm-taH-ghach	emptiness
tyo	cha'	two
tyot	cha'DIch	second
tyuq	-chuq?	one another?
'u-g'ub-tyiq	ghob-chuq	fight each other
'u-lil	lul	fight
'uq'-bug'	'oH-bogh	which is
'us-ru-tyeDi	HoS-chaj	their power
viv-bat	vuv-be'	does not respect
wob	wab	sound