Rank translations needed

[rIHaD martaq]

nuq'neH!

Please excuse the way I had to do the links in this msg, apprently there is a bug in the board today, it kept messing up any links marked in BBCode by adding gibberish to them and ruining them. Just cut/paste links out from inside the quotation marks and they should work properly.

I am helping a friend set up a rank system within a game and he would like to use Klingon ranks. I scanned a page from a book I have listing ranks, but need the Klingon Language translations of their names. Here's the page:

http://home.earthlink.net/~qangmartoq/images/Klingon%20Rank%20Insignia.jpg (Leads directly to an image)

(If anyone's wondering where I got that scan from, I I took it from a book known as "Klingon Covert Operations Manual", copyright 1989. From the scarce references I found to it on the 'Net, I'd assume it is (or was) an internal reference manual for KSF members. As to it's rarity, I am curious.

For example, in the book "Diplomatic Implausability", we see "bekk" used quite often. According to the book's glossary (yes, even though it's a paperback, it has a small glossary of Klingon terms) "bekk" means "A rank given to enlisted personnel serving in the Klingon Defense Force".

Now I don't remember my high school NJROTC training very well, but I know my next question was covered in that class (and I've forgotten it). What rank from that image would come closest to 'Enlisted Personnel'?

I would be grateful if each rank in the image could be transalted into their native Klingon terms and listed out in a response to forward to my friend.

Perhaps this page has more questions than answers, but it certainly stirs the pot a bit...

http://www.tangofleet.org/ranks/ranks8.htm

[Ambassador Lady K'Zin]

Hi,

I'm gonna move a copy of this thread over to the language section, as the forum members who are most likely to help you with translations tend to "hang around" there more and you'd stand a better chance of getting the help you've requested... OK?

I'll leave a "breadcrumb trail" here too, so people will still read the thread in this particular forum as well...

[weslipuqlod]

I have that same manual.  I am not aware of its actual value but I do know that it is not readily available and I would consider it rare.

You can actually purchase these rank pins for $5 a pair from House Veska. Go to their website at www.houseveska.org and click on uniforms then scroll down.

This particular variation of ranks have been used by many groups over the years, though primarily by the Klingon Assault Group.

As for specific tlhIngan Hol translations of these ranking titles, what I can give you is what has been developed by Okrand in his publications of the Klingon Language.

rank = patlh
recruit = ghuv
ensign = lagh
corporal = Da'
sergeant = bu'
captain = HoD
commodore = totlh
commander = la' or ra'wI'
commandant = la''a'
supreme commander = la'quv
general = Sa'

ambassador = Duy'a'
governor = qumwI'
chancellor = Qang
emperor = ta' or voDleH

Obviously these are not in any particular order.  Looking at this list it is evident that there could be two separate rank structures available for naval and ground forces if comparison is made with existing Earth rank structures, yet not all the words exist to construct both completely.

Ambassador and governor could be considered civilian authority titles rather than rank.

This is what I have yet it may not be an all inclusive list.  Okrand regularly releases words to the Klingon Language Institute and at conventions .  There may be additional translations that I am unaware of at this time.

You should follow up by researching the KLI's New Klingon Words section at http://kli.org/tlh/newwords.html

I also recommend that you purchase the Klingon Dictionary, Klingon for the Galactic Traveler, and The Klingon Way.  All by Okrand, all from Pocket Books, all obtainable through the KLI on their website.

I would be interested in knowing if I missed any rank translations.

[qurgh]

The Klingon Ranks are as follows:

'aj - Admiral
Sa' - General
totlh - Commodore
'ech - Brigadier
HoD - Captain
la' - Commander
Sogh - Lieutenant
lagh - Ensign
ne' - yoeman

In refereance to the last past, ra'wI' is NOT a rank, it's a title for a person who commands. This could be a person who commands a house, a ship or a base. It's a job, not a rank.

The same is true with la'quv and la''a'. These are special titles for people in special jobs.

There are also two troop ranks:

bu' - Sergeant
Du' - Corperal

These are all the canon ranks. If you see others, then they are not part of the Klingon Language, and have been made up by someone besides Okrand (which means most Klingon speakers won't understand what your talking about.)