maH

tlh
en
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we, us, ten, tens
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/mɑx/
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A first-person plural pronoun for a group including the speaker, and an unrelated element attached to digits to form multiples of ten.

Examples

  • tlhIngan maH!
    We are Klingons!
  • maH nulegh ghaH.
    He sees us.
  • cha'maH yIH Daghaj.
    You have twenty tribbles.
  • wa'maH chorghben jIboghpu'.
    I was born eighteen years ago.
  • Duj wa'maHDIch wIlegh.
    We see the tenth ship.

Similar words

Meanings

We or us

pronoun
language
neutral
The first-person plural pronoun for a group that includes the speaker. It can be an emphasized subject or object and also serves as the predicate in nominal identity statements.

Usage

Use maH for any group that includes the speaker, whether or not the addressee belongs to it. With an ordinary verb, keep the required agreement prefix even when the separate pronoun appears for emphasis or clarity.

Examples

  • tlhIngan maH!
    We are Klingons!
  • maval maH.
    We are smart.
  • SuvwI'pu' maH.
    We are warriors.
  • maH nulegh ghaH.
    He sees us.
  • nIteb bIjaH, 'ach matay' maH.
    You go alone, but we are together.

Common mistakes

The agreement prefix is omitted or the identity construction is reversed when maH is stated separately.
IncorrectCorrect
val maH maval maH
maH legh ghaH maH nulegh ghaH
maH tlhInganpu' tlhInganpu' maH

Similar words

Tens-forming element

noun
mathematics
neutral
The number-forming element attached after a digit from one to nine to make ten, twenty, and the other multiples of ten.

Usage

Attach maH directly after a digit, as in wa'maH for ten and cha'maH for twenty. Write any remaining units as a separate word, and put an ordinal formed with -DIch after the noun it numbers.

Examples

  • wa'maH tlhIngan vIlegh.
    I see ten Klingons.
  • cha'maH yIH Daghaj.
    You have twenty tribbles.
  • wa'maH chorghben jIboghpu'.
    I was born eighteen years ago.
  • loSvatlh vaghmaH jav DeQ ghaj.
    He has four hundred and fifty-six credits.
  • Duj wa'maHDIch wIlegh.
    We see the tenth ship.

Common mistakes

The element maH is put before the digit or separated from it, although Klingon tens are written as one digit-plus-element word.
IncorrectCorrect
maH wa' wa'maH
cha' maH cha'maH
wa'maHDIch Duj Duj wa'maHDIch

Similar words

Usage

Let context distinguish the pronoun from the number element, which never stands before its digit and appears inside forms such as wa'maH and cha'maH.

Common mistakes

val maH lacks the required ma- agreement prefix, while a form such as maH cha' reverses the order needed for cha'maH, twenty.

Etymology

Marc Okrand lists maH in The Klingon Dictionary both as the pronoun “we, us” and as the number-forming element for ten. No relationship or further derivation between the two uses is attested.

FAQ

What does maH mean?

maH means “we” or “us,” and it also appears after a digit to form a multiple of ten.

How is maH pronounced?

maH is pronounced /mɑx/, with the open a sound followed by the rough Klingon H.

Does a verb still need an agreement prefix with maH?

Yes. A separate maH can add emphasis or clarity, but the verb still carries the prefix required for a first-person plural subject or object.

Does maH distinguish inclusive and exclusive we?

No separate inclusive or exclusive forms are attested. maH can include or exclude the addressee according to context.

How does maH form numbers?

Attach maH after a digit from one to nine, giving forms such as wa'maH for ten and cha'maH for twenty.

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