- The proper Klingon name for the Klingon language is tlhIngan Hol, which simply transalates to "the language of Klingons." It is a language rich in invective and in terms for martial prowess and technigues. The basic structure of the language is relatively simple, but the usage can become quite complex. There are some peculiarities in the language - the absense of the word "to be," for instance. The Klingon writing system is known as pIqaD. pIqaD is written thusly:
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- There are a number of dialects of Klingon. When a Klingon emperor is replaced, for whatever reason, it has historically been the case that the new emperor speakes a different dialect. As a result, the new emperor's dialect becomes the official dialect. During the three hundred years when the Empire was without an emperor, the official dialect fluctuated according to what faction ruled the High Council. With the ascension of Gorkon (ghorqon) to the Chancellorship, followed by his daughter Azetbur (aSetbur), the dialect traditionally attributed to Kahless (qeyllS) the Unforgettable came into ascendancy, and this state of affairs was maintained by K'mpec (q'mpeq) and, more recently, Gowron (ghawran). With the ascension of Kahless II this dialect remains the official language of the Klingon Empire.
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