# Klingon Speakers: What did the Chieftain say to the Captain in the first episode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785 "2001-10-01T16:51:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/1 "2001-10-01T16:51:55Z")
First episode of _Enterprise_. Story gets wrapped up in a nice little package, but not before the Klingon boss “thanks” the Captain by waving a knife before his throat and saying a couple of words. “What did he say?” asks the Captain of his translator. “You don’t want to know,” she answers. Well, _I_ want to know. Klingon is at this point a “real” language, in that it has a vocabulary, a grammar, and a modest number of Klingon speakers. Unfortunately, the [Klingon Language Institute](http://www.kli.org/) has not answered this important question. [Here is a list](http://www.kli.org/tlh/phrases.html) of common phrases, which might help. It is a somewhat important question. A number of readers of the SDMB have [expressed their concern](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=89659) that this show is already suffering from inconsistencies with the Star Trek universe. Bad writing and poor research is implied by others. Therefore, I’m looking to see if what the Klingon said is “correct” Klingon, in addition to finding out what it was that he said, in both Klingon and English. Thank you in advance for your answers. _Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam!_ ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/2 "2001-10-01T16:57:31Z")
I don’t speak Klingon and so do not have an answer, but it’s my understanding that the shows never tried that hard to have Klingon dialogue rendered correctly. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/3 "2001-10-01T17:04:11Z")
Well, I personally cannot wait to find out which Dopers speak Klingon, so I can taunt them mercilessly. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/4 "2001-10-01T17:24:30Z")
Oh, fine. You’re going to make me go watch it a fourth time, aren’t you? One of the klingons said something about Stobokhor, however it’s spelled (aka sic), was that the time? Or was it Tiny Lister? ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/5 "2001-10-01T17:56:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*Oh, fine. You’re going to make me go watch it a fourth time, aren’t you? > > One of the klingons said something about Stobokhor, however it’s spelled (aka sic), was that the time? Or was it Tiny Lister? \*\* That was in the Enterprise sickbay, when Klang the Klingon (sounds like someone Barney the Dinosaur might know) was babbling deleriously. Hoshi translated it as something about “eating the afterlife.” As all us trekkers know, Stovokor (sp?) is the Klingon version of Valhalla. The part that Sofa King is asking about was at the end, after they’ve delivered Klang to Kronos (should be Quo’nos, actually) and the Klingon leader says something while holding a knife to Archer’s throat. He then lowers the knife and turns his back on the humans. I don’t speak Klingon, but my guess would be something along the lines of, “I won’t kill you yet.” About as close to “Thanks, buddy” as a human can expect from a Klingon, particularly in this time period. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/6 "2001-10-01T18:55:38Z")
I have it on reasonably good authority that he said “If you can understand this, get a friggin’ life!” ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/7 "2001-10-01T18:59:15Z")
I have nothing to add except: [Klingon speakers now outnumber Navajo speakers](http://www.theonion.com/onion3526/klingon_navajo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/8 "2001-10-01T18:59:24Z")
Since we’re talking about a good century before the original Star Trek, might it not be in an older style Klingonese, which may mean, it would be difficult to interpret properly… ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/9 "2001-10-01T19:36:39Z")
He said “All your base are belong to us.” ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/10 "2001-10-01T19:47:36Z")
Sorry, no answer here either, but I will say this. . . If I had written this episode, I would have made damn sure that the phrase was untranslatable. The gag is lost if an enterprising (heh) fan actually derived meaning from the foreign phrase. In fact, just to reinforce the gag, I would have made the other Klingon lines in the episode translatable, but not this one. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/11 "2001-10-01T19:49:41Z")
I just wanted to add [this](http://snltranscripts.jt.org/scripts/86hgetalife.phtml) famous SNL sketch featuring William Shatner to the discussion. I am reminded of it at times like these. D&R ---
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/12 "2001-10-01T21:16:11Z")
“All your base are belong to us.” If this is the literal translation, one could assume that this is an idiom which just doesn’t make sense to non-native speakers. A more likely explanation may be that the translator just didn’t quite understand what was said, and decided rather than say she didn’t know, decided to cover her own butt. This would of course lead the captain to assume that the Klingons dissed him, setting up future conflict, and leading to an interstellar war, which would cost millions of lives… The moral of the story, is if you don’t know, say so, especially in the high stakes game of interstellar diplomacy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/13 "2001-10-01T21:51:19Z")
Not to go off topic, but let’s go off-topic for a second. Okay, am I right in thinking that the secet information was encoded in the klingon’s DNA? And that’s why he was involved with the spongy lady from that race of people who mess with their DNA (above and beyond the fact that she was a rebel leader)? Also, is Klingon technology high, but just sort of _stagnant_ throughout the whole ST series? Are they conspiciously ignoring the fact that Klingons all merely looked like they were Mexican or Spanish or whatever in the original ST? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/14 "2001-10-01T22:00:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Inky- \* > \*\*Are they conspiciously ignoring the fact that Klingons all merely looked like they were Mexican or Spanish or whatever in the original ST? \*\* I remember the “Deep Space 9” episode where they went back to the orginal series episode “The Trouble With Tribbles” (or something like that); you know: back in time. Whorf was with them, and the girl with the snake in her gut (name???) asked Whorf, in reference to the relatively human-looking Klingons, “_Those_ are Klingons? What happened?” To which Whorf replied “It’s a long story.” Okay, the quotes are paraphrased, but this kinda blows the consistency of this whole, made-up universe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/15 "2001-10-01T22:29:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Balthisar \* > \*\* and the girl with the snake in her gut (name???) > \*\* Jadzia Dax > [@](#): > > \*\* “_Those_ are Klingons? What happened?” To which Whorf replied “It’s a long story.” > > Okay, the quotes are paraphrased, but this kinda blows the consistency of this whole, made-up universe. 🙂 \*\* It was more like an embarrassed, growly “we don’t talk about it” in a don’t ask again fashion. At least they tackled it head on instead of skipping round it. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/16 "2001-10-01T22:53:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Inky- \* > \*\*Are they conspiciously ignoring the fact that Klingons all merely looked like they were Mexican or Spanish or whatever in the original ST? \*\* The idea B&B are following, is that Gene would have wanted his Klingon’s to look like they did in the movies and later shows. Makeup wasn’t up to the standard yet. So now it’s a bit of retroactive continuity they’re doing. Doesn’t bother me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Caldazar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Caldazar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldazar)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/17 "2001-10-01T23:41:00Z")
Chancellor: “ChugDah hegh …volcha va” Chug: If Dah: Now, today hegh: to die, death volcha: shoulder va: (signifying an exclaimation) However: vah: sheath, knife case The Chancellor could very well have been saying “I won’t kill you today.” (I won’t stab you in the shoulder to bring about your death today). Just my WAG. ---
**Author:** ![luckyloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@luckyloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luckyloo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/18 "2001-10-01T23:41:25Z")
I can’t remember for the life of me where I got this from, but I heard that the origional mexi-klingons were genetically altered to look more human. Something along the lines that humans had to totally rethink their estimation of klingon technology when they found this out. I really wish I remembered the source on this one. So yeah, if anyone can verify this, they did ignore the history. ---
**Author:** ![bcullman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bcullman/32/8207_2.png) [@bcullman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bcullman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/19 "2001-10-01T23:59:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by luckyloo \* > \*\*I can’t remember for the life of me where I got this from, but I heard that the origional mexi-klingons were genetically altered to look more human. Something along the lines that humans had to totally rethink their estimation of klingon technology when they found this out. I really wish I remembered the source on this one. > > So yeah, if anyone can verify this, they did ignore the history. \*\* Ya know, with that genetic thing he was carrying, perhaps the writers are actually setting up for the era where Klingons looked more human like. So it might finally be explained after all. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785/20 "2001-10-02T12:53:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Inky- \* > \*\*Also, is Klingon technology high, but just sort of _stagnant_ throughout the whole ST series? > > Are they conspiciously ignoring the fact that Klingons all merely looked like they were Mexican or Spanish or whatever in the original ST? \*\* 1. Paramount is on record as saying that they’re not going to say anything about it. In the context of the universe, the Klings are likewise on record as saying that they’re not going to say anything about it (as quoted above). 2. Klingons aren’t real big on science or research; most of their technology comes from slave races they conquered. Once they run out of wimpy races to conquer, all they have left are the ones who know how to make fast ships, guns, and shields (like, say, Humans, Vulcans, and Romulans…), and suddenly the fight gets a little tougher… so they seem to stagnate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/klingon-speakers-what-did-the-chieftain-say-to-the-captain-in-the-first-episode/84785.md?page=2)