Changes: Ferengi language

Revision as of 19:52, 25 September 2019

Classroom alphabet 2 — The Ferengi alphabet (center)

The Ferengi language was the spoken and written language of the Ferengi, whose homeworld was Ferenginar.

Written language

Ferengi script

Ferengi writing looked much like a flowchart, with many sixty degree angles. Text radiated from the center outward, which indicated the direction of writing as well. Ferengi text could be written with or without a central hexagon, radiating from one side of a hexagon only and in single horizontal lines on signs and short notes. (TNG: "Ménage à Troi"; DS9: "Body Parts").

Keiko O'Brien's classroom featured a chart depicting the English, the Bajoran, the Cardassian, and the Ferengi alphabets. The chart listed some sixty-plus Ferengi language symbols. (DS9: "The Nagus", "In the Hands of the Prophets", "Cardassians")

Ferengi Lexis

The words "ooh" and "latinum" meant the same in Ferengi as they did in English. (ENT: "Acquisition")
There was no word for "crisp" in Ferengi, since all food got mushy on Ferenginar. This was due to the planet having a high humidity and near constant rainfall. (DS9: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
DaiMon: a rank given to one in charge of a starship; roughly analogous to a Federation captain. (TNG: "The Last Outpost")
Nagus: a title of authority; esp. Grand Nagus, leader of the Ferengi Alliance. This was, presumably, an English translation, as certain Earth leaders (i.e. those of Ethiopia) also bore the title of Nagus. (DS9: "The Nagus")
Lobeling: a child. (DS9: "Profit and Lace")
Moogie: mom or mother. (DS9: "Family Business")
oo-mox: massage of the ears, a sexual practice. There was no non-Ferengi translation for this word. (TNG: "Ménage à Troi")

Established words

Ferengi written message — A hand-written message by Rom: "*Dear Quark, Used parts from your disruptor to fix the replicators. Will return them soon. - Rom.*"

Yop: "I" (DS9: "Little Green Men")

Yop-im too: "I'm sorry" (DS9: "Little Green Men")

Gren: "You" (DS9: "Little Green Men")

Neep-gren: "Thank you" (DS9: "Little Green Men")

Yoba: Brother (DS9: "Little Green Men")

Kora noosa?: "Anything?" (ENT: "Acquisition")

NanDi: "Excellent" (ENT: "Acquisition")

Nass: "No" (ENT: "Acquisition")

Lahje: "Here" (ENT: "Acquisition")

Lat: "to", such as between the names of a sender and recipient, when hailing someone. (ENT: "Acquisition")

Rain

There were 178 different Ferengi words for rain.

glebbening - an especially severe rainstorm (DS9: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")

Established dialogue

The following comes from the script for TNG: "Ménage à Troi":

Keh-ee Yoor-ee Dah-teh-ee...

The first part of Tog's computer security access code. Presumably the syllables are either the names of Ferengi letters, or words, i.e numbers.

This sequence is an in-joke, making reference to the anime series Dirty Pair. Kei and Yuri are characters that appear in the series, and in Japanese, the names Kei and Yuri and Dirty Pair would be pronounced ke-i yu-ri dah-te-i pe-ah. The names of Kei and Yuri also appear written in Japanese in the Iconian written language.

The following examples are from the script for DS9: "Little Green Men":

Pip im gren tovat. Yop bree gren skin law po far.

This is all your fault. I told you to check the ship.

Yop im too, yoba. Yop sko ta yop ma.

I'm sorry, brother. I did the best I could.

Listen^file info

Goss uff wok ton.

Let us out of here.

Brik yop tal hopdrew, ki los hoem bog?

If I jumped off a roof, would you do that, too?

Gren fatarik oo-mox?

Unknown, may mean something like "What do you say I teach you how to oo-mox?"

Ya ta fa?

Unknown, may mean "Is that a yes?"

Gren fa hoe loth pex-pil?

Haven't you got that translator fixed yet?

Vo yop toe pah?

Can I have that?

Yop triska gleep do-sta gren-la.

I need that metal thing you're holding.

Neep-gren.

Thank you.

The following examples are from the script for ENT: "Acquisition". It is possible these lines are in a different dialect/language than that used by the Ferengi on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Irr zoun nagool ahsp.

They're not responding to hails.

Cucht eeta ekrajhn-voy?

What do your scans say?

Irr gnales. Nohm setron quetsivoo!

They're alive, but unconscious. It worked!

Vaneeday.

Take us in.

Cucht nee va zeh?

Do you know this species?

Y-solah-na.

This way.

Tenda sout bazul. Ningor.

It's not on this deck. Let's go.

Gar-day latinum sou-tah!

This is worth its weight in latinum.

Sapa-moul!

Don't touch it!

Ehj saf-rey tomen-dee.

I know how to deactivate it.

Konah see-oh-mahj irr zoon.

The fools never knew what hit them.

Orink!

Look at this!

Senpa tah-moy. Lorala rrela!

She's beautiful. Exquisite lobes!

Additionally, two Ferengi phrases that were scripted for "Acquisition" but omitted from that installment also include the word "rrela". Together with this canonical phrase, they make it clear the word was intended to mean "lobes".

Latinum soun teyvalah

She's probably worth a thousand bars of latinum.

Ulis tenda vool.

Ulis is waiting to hear from us.

Sop moepree.

We're clear.

La-voy Daemon.

This looks like the captain.

Letra deemo mirra!

Don't touch anything!

Klaxut.

Go ahead.

Feesha vou dole!

We hit the jackpot!

Ree-jahvey.

We'll be right here.

Guzah puh naam.

Their medicines might be valuable.

Sel tre-oght da-techt.

Roughly "Take all possible."

This phrase was scripted as "Sel tre-oght irra sul da-techt," meaning, "Take all you can." However, the sentence is edited in the final version of "Acquisition".

Ehj ocuuz sahfi?

What about the equipment?

Guzah louz.

Medicine first.

Ingala habi.

Wake him.

Ingala duk habi?

Do you command this ship?

Duk habi nakustra?

Are you the Captain?

Bok megoron duk...?

roughly "Do you understand...?"

In the script of "Acquisition", these three Ferengi words were untranslated. In both the script and the actual episode, the words begin a sentence that starts being translated midway through, ending with the English words, "...what I'm saying?"

Background information

Ferengi statements that were scripted for but don't feature in "Acquisition" include:

Lir rrela toh teepah.

Their lobes are so small.

Yrutu mahs.

She's mine.

Ehj voyet!

I saw her first!

Rrela pik'tabol...

With those lobes...

Sen-pah tou!

I found another pretty one!

External link

Ferengi language at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+[[File:Classroom alphabet 2.jpg|thumb|The Ferengi alphabet (center)]]
-==Writing==
+The '''Ferengi language''' was the spoken and written [[language]] of the [[Ferengi]], whose [[homeworld]] was [[Ferenginar]].
-[[Image:ferengitext.GIF|thumb|Ferengi Script]]
-As seen in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, Ferengi writing looks much like a flowchart, with lots of 60 degree angles.  Text emanates from the centre outward, which would direction of writing as well.  Ferengi text can be written with or without a central hexagon or only emanating from one side of an hexagon.  No translation or transliteration was provided for this chunk of writing. The flowchart fits into the business culture of the society. A pictographic analysis of information is easier to grasp at a glance than text.  The Ferengi Language is very mathematically oriented.
+=== Written language ===
-==Rain==
+[[File:Ferengi script.gif|thumb|Ferengi script]]
+Ferengi writing looked much like a flowchart, with many sixty degree angles. Text radiated from the center outward, which indicated the direction of writing as well. Ferengi text could be written with or without a central hexagon, radiating from one side of a hexagon only and in single horizontal lines on signs and short notes. ({{TNG|Ménage à Troi}}; {{DS9|Body Parts}}).
+[[Keiko O'Brien]]'s [[classroom]] featured a chart depicting the [[English]], the [[Bajoran]], the [[Cardassian]], and the Ferengi alphabets. The chart listed some sixty-plus Ferengi language symbols. ({{DS9|The Nagus|In the Hands of the Prophets|Cardassians}})
-There are 178 different Ferengi words for rain.
+=== Ferengi Lexis ===
-'''glebbening''' - an especially severe rainstorm
+* The words "ooh" and "latinum" meant the same in Ferengi as they did in English. ({{ENT|Acquisition}})
-*[[DS9]] "[[Let He Who Is Without Sin...]]"
+* There was no word for "crisp" in Ferengi, since all food got mushy on [[Ferenginar]]. This was due to the planet having a high humidity and near constant rainfall. ({{DS9|Let He Who Is Without Sin...}})
+*'''[[DaiMon]]''': a rank given to one in charge of a [[starship]]; roughly analogous to a [[Federation]] {{dis|captain|rank}}. ({{TNG|The Last Outpost}})
+*'''[[Grand Nagus|Nagus]]''': a title of authority; esp. Grand Nagus, leader of the [[Ferengi Alliance]]. This was, presumably, an English translation, as certain Earth leaders (i.e. those of Ethiopia) also bore the title of Nagus. ({{DS9|The Nagus}})
+*'''[[Lobeling]]''': a child. ({{DS9|Profit and Lace}})
+*'''[[Moogie]]''': mom or mother. ({{DS9|Family Business}})
+*'''[[oo-mox]]''': [[massage]] of the [[ear]]s, a [[sex]]ual practice. There was no non-Ferengi translation for this word. ({{TNG|Ménage à Troi}})
+=== Established words ===
-==Ferengi Lexis==
+[[File:Ferengi written message.jpg|thumb|A hand-written message by [[Rom]]: "''Dear Quark, Used parts from your disruptor to fix the replicators. Will return them soon. - Rom.''"]]
+:'''Yop''': "I" ({{DS9|Little Green Men}})
+:'''Yop-im too''': "I'm sorry" ({{DS9|Little Green Men}})
+:'''Gren''': "You" ({{DS9|Little Green Men}})
+:'''Neep-gren''': "Thank you" ({{DS9|Little Green Men}})
+:'''Yoba''': [[Brother]] ({{DS9|Little Green Men}})
+:'''Kora noosa?''': "Anything?" ({{ENT|Acquisition}})
+:'''NanDi''': "Excellent" ({{ENT|Acquisition}})
+:'''Nass''': "No" ({{ENT|Acquisition}})
+:'''Lahje''': "Here" ({{ENT|Acquisition}})
+:'''Lat''': "to", such as between the names of a sender and recipient, when hailing someone. ({{ENT|Acquisition}})
+==== Rain ====
-*'''oo-mox''' - massage of the ears, a sexual practice. There is no English translation.
+There were 178 different Ferengi words for [[rain]].
+'''glebbening''' - an especially severe rainstorm ({{DS9|Let He Who Is Without Sin...}})
-*'''DaiMon''' - rank given to one in charge of a starship; roughly analagous to Federaton Captain.
+=== Established dialogue ===
-*'''Nagus''' - title of authority; esp. Grand Nagus, leader of the Ferengi Alliance.
+:''The following comes from the script for {{TNG|Ménage à Troi}}'':
+'''Keh-ee Yoor-ee Dah-teh-ee...'''
-*There is no word for ''crisp'', since all food gets mushy on [[Ferenginar]].
+The first part of [[Tog]]'s computer security access code. ''Presumably the syllables are either the names of Ferengi letters, or words, i.e numbers.''
-*'''Gooblatrupyob''' - Ferengi phrase literally meaning "Bank account without Brains", idiomatic meaning; alien, foreigner
+{{bginfo|This sequence is an [[in-joke]], making reference to the anime series ''Dirty Pair''. Kei and Yuri are characters that appear in the series, and in Japanese, the names Kei and Yuri and Dirty Pair would be pronounced '''ke-i yu-ri dah-te-i pe-ah'''. The names of Kei and Yuri also appear written in Japanese in the [[Iconian language|Iconian written language]].}}
-==Examples of Ferengi spoken language==
-''(Note: the following examples are from the script for [[DS9]]: "[[Little Green Men]]")''
+:''The following examples are from the script for {{DS9|Little Green Men}}'':
-'''Pip im gren tovat. Yop bree gren skin law po far.'''
-:''This is all your fault. I told you to check the ship''
+{| width = "100%"
+| width = "49%" | '''Pip im gren tovat. Yop bree gren skin law po far.'''
+:''This is all your fault. I told you to check the ship.''
 '''Yop im too, yoba. Yop sko ta yop ma.'''
-:''I'm sorry, brother. I did the best I could''
+:''I'm sorry, brother. I did the best I could.''
+| width = "2%" style="border-right: 2px solid; border-top: 2px solid; border-bottom: 2px solid;" | &nbsp;
+| width = "49%" | &nbsp; {{audio|file=Ferengi language.ogg}}
+|}
-'''Goss uff wok ton. Goss uff wok ton.'''
+'''Goss uff wok ton.'''
-:''Let us out of here. Let us out of here''
+:''Let us out of here.''
 '''Brik yop tal hopdrew, ki los hoem bog?'''
 :''If I jumped off a roof, would you do that, too?''
+'''Gren fatarik oo-mox?'''
+:''Unknown, may mean something like "What do you say I teach you how to oo-mox?"''
+'''Ya ta fa?'''
+:''Unknown, may mean "Is that a yes?"''
 '''Gren fa hoe loth pex-pil?'''
 :''Haven't you got that translator fixed yet?''
-'''Gren fatarik Oo-mox?'''
-:''You know how to 'oo-mox'?''
-'''Ya ta fa'''
-:''???.  This may be an American auctioneers phrase, possibly spoken by one of the humans present, or it could be Ferengi.''
 '''Vo yop toe pah?'''
@@ Line 51: / Line 75: @@
 '''Yop triska gleep do-sta gren-la.'''
-:''I need that metal thing you're holding''
+:''I need that metal thing you're holding.''
 '''Neep-gren.'''
-:''Thank you''
+:''Thank you.''
-''(Note: the following examples are from the script for [[ENT]]: "[[Acquisition]]").  It is not known if these lines are in a different dialect/language used by the ferengi to the one used in [[DS9]]''
+:''The following examples are from the script for {{ENT|Acquisition}}. It is possible these lines are in a different dialect/language than that used by the Ferengi on {{s|DS9}}.''
-'''Kora-noosa''
-:''Anything?''
-'''Irr zoun nagool ahsp'''
+'''Irr zoun nagool ahsp.'''
-:''They're not respoding to hails''
+:''They're not responding to hails.''
 '''Cucht eeta ekrajhn-voy?'''
-:''What do [your/the] scans say?''
+:''What do your scans say?''
+'''Irr gnales. Nohm setron quetsivoo!'''
+:''They're alive, but unconscious. It worked!''
+'''Vaneeday.'''
+:''Take us in.''
+'''Cucht nee va zeh?'''
+:''Do you know this species?''
+'''Y-solah-na.'''
+:''This way.''
+'''Tenda sout bazul. Ningor.'''
+:''It's not on this deck. Let's go.''
+'''Gar-day latinum sou-tah!'''
+:''This is worth its weight in latinum.''
+'''Sapa-moul!'''
+:''Don't touch it!''
+'''Ehj saf-rey tomen-dee.'''
+:''I know how to deactivate it.''
+'''Konah see-oh-mahj irr zoon.'''
+:''The fools never knew what hit them.''
+'''Orink!'''
+:''Look at this!''
+'''Senpa tah-moy. Lorala rrela!'''
+:''She's beautiful. Exquisite lobes!''
+{{bginfo|Additionally, two Ferengi phrases that were scripted for "Acquisition" but omitted from that installment also include the word "rrela". Together with this [[canon]]ical phrase, they make it clear the word was intended to mean "lobes".}}
+'''Latinum soun teyvalah'''
+:''She's probably worth a thousand bars of latinum.''
+'''Ulis tenda vool.'''
+:''Ulis is waiting to hear from us.''
+'''Sop moepree.'''
+:''We're clear.''
+'''La-voy Daemon.'''
+:''This looks like the captain.''
+'''Letra deemo mirra!'''
+:''Don't touch anything!''
+'''Klaxut.'''
+:''Go ahead.''
+'''Feesha vou dole!'''
+:''We hit the jackpot!''
+'''Ree-jahvey.'''
+:''We'll be right here.''
+'''Guzah puh naam.'''
+:''Their medicines might be valuable.''
+'''Sel tre-oght da-techt.'''
+:''Roughly "Take all possible."''
+{{bginfo|This phrase was scripted as "''Sel tre-oght irra sul da-techt,''" meaning, "''Take all you can.''" However, the sentence is edited in the final version of "Acquisition".}}
+'''Ehj ocuuz sahfi?'''
+:''What about the equipment?''
+'''Guzah louz.'''
+:''Medicine first.''
+'''Ingala habi.'''
+:''Wake him.''
+'''Ingala duk habi?'''
+:''Do you command this ship?''
+'''Duk habi nakustra?'''
+:''Are you the Captain?''
+'''Bok megoron duk...?'''
+:''roughly "Do you understand...?"''
+{{bginfo|In the script of "Acquisition", these three Ferengi words were untranslated. In both the script and the actual episode, the words begin a sentence that starts being translated midway through, ending with the English words, "''...what I'm saying?''"}}
+== Background information ==
+Ferengi statements that were scripted for but don't feature in "Acquisition" include:
-'''Irr gnales, nohm setron.  Quetsivoo!'''
+'''Lir rrela toh teepah.'''
+:''Their lobes are so small.''
-:''They're alive, but unconscious.  It worked!''
-'''Nandi'''
+'''Yrutu mahs.'''
-:''Excellent''
+:''She's mine.''
-'''Vanay'eday'''
+'''Ehj voyet!'''
-:''Take us in''
+:''I saw her first!''
-'''Tenda sout bazul, ningor!'''
+'''Rrela pik'tabol...'''
+:''With those lobes...''
-:''It's not on this deck.  Let's go!''
-'''Konah see-oh-mahj irr zoon'''
+'''Sen-pah tou!'''
+:''I found another pretty one!''
-:''The fools never knew what they were hit by''
+== External link ==
-'''Oooh, gar-dey latinum sou-tah'''
+* {{mbeta}}
-:''Oooh, this is worth its weight in latinum''
+[[Category:Ferenginar]]
-==Deduced wordlist==
+[[Category:Languages]]
+[[de:Ferengi (Sprache)]]
-*'''ahsp''' = hail/call
+[[fr:Ferengi (langue)]]
-*'''Bog''' = too/aswell
-*'''Boop''' = to serve
-*'''Booplop''' = Servant/wife (same difference in Ferengi culture)
-*'''Brik''' - if
-*'''Bree''' - To tell
-*'''Do''' = thing
-*'''Doop''' = to inherit
-*'''Dooplop''' = inheriter/brother (legal term)
-*'''Fa''' = to get/aquire
-*'''Fatarik''' = to know [how]
-*'''Far''' = ship, vessel
-*'''Gar''' = to be valueble
-*'''Gar-dey''' = to be worth its weight
-*'''Gnales''' - be alive, living
-*'''Goss''' = to let/permit
-*'''Gleep''' = metal
-*'''Gren''' = you/your/yours
-*'''Hoe''' = that
-*'''Hoem''' = mimick, copy
-*'''Hopdrew''' = to jump [off]
-*'''Im''' = very/all/emphatic particle
-*'''Irr''' = they/them/their
-*'''Ki''' = would
-*'''Konah''' = fool, idiot
-*'''Kora-noosa''' = anything [on sensors]
-*'''La''' = to hold
-*'''Law''' = it/its
-*'''-lop''' = -er, one who/thing that does something
-*'''Los''' = you all (plural)
-*'''Loth''' = translator
-*'''Ma''' = could
-*'''Mahj''' = what thing/something
-*'''Moogie''' = mummy (term of endearment)
-*'''Nandi''' = excellent
-*'''nagool''' = to answer/respond
-*'''Neep''' = to thank
-*'''Ningor''' = Let's Go/Come on!
-*'''nohm''' - but
-*'''Oh''' = to know
-*'''pah''' = that
-*'''Pex''' = to fix
-*'''pil''' = yet
-*'''pip''' = this
-*'''Po''' = the (topic marker)
-*'''questivoo''' - it worked, success!
-*'''see''' = never
-*'''see-oh-mahj''' = to never know something
-*'''setron''' - unconscious
-*'''Skin''' = to check/examine
-*'''Sko''' = did
-*'''sou-tah''' = this thing is/are
-*'''Sta''' = which
-*'''Ta''' = best
-*'''Tal''' = roof
-*'''Toe''' = to have/posess
-*'''Too''' = sorry
-*'''Ton''' = here
-*'''Tovat''' = fault/mistake
-*'''Triska''' = to need
-*'''Uff''' = we/us/our
-*'''Vo''' = can/may
-*'''Wok''' = to exit/leave
-*'''Yoba''' = brother (term of endearment)
-*'''Yop''' = I/me/my
-*'''zoun''' (pronounced 'zone') = no, not
-*'''zoon''' = hit with, attacted by