Writing
As seen in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, Ferengi writing looks much like a flowchart, with lots of 60 degree angles. 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.
Rain
There are 178 different Ferengi words for rain.
glebbening - an especially severe rainstorm
Ferengi Lexis
- oo-mox - massage of the ears, a sexual practice. There is no English translation.
- DaiMon - rank given to one in charge of a starship; roughly analagous to Federaton Captain.
- Nagus - title of authority; esp. Grand Nagus, leader of the Ferengi Alliance.
- There is no word for crisp, since all food gets mushy on Ferenginar.
Examples of Ferengi spoken language
(Note: 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 for problems
Yop im too, yoba. Yop sko ta yop ma.
- I'm sorry, brother. I did the best I could
Goss uff wok ton. Goss uff wok ton.
- 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 fa hoe loth pex-pil?
- Haven't you got that translator fixed yet?
'Gren fatarik Oo-mox?
- You know how to 'oo-mox'?
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
Deduced wordlist
- Do = matal
- Goss = to let/permit
- Gren = you/your/yours
- Im = very/all/emphatic particle
- Neep = thank*ton = here
- triska = to need
- Ma - could
- Sko = did
- Sta = thing
- Ta = best
- Too = sorry
- uff = we/us/our
- Vo = can
- wok = to exit/leave
- Yoba = brother
- Yop = I/me/my
- It would seem the Ferengi word for 'that' changes depending on whether 'that' is a concrete or abstract noun - see "Can I have that?" and "..would you do that.." above.