A word or expression by which a person, place, or thing is known or identified.
Examples
tlhIngan qorDu' pong potlh law' Hoch potlh puS.
The Klingon family name is more important than anything else.
DaH pongDaj Sov qotar.
Now Kotar knows his name.
luqara' 'oH pongwI''e' jupwI'.
My name is Lady Lukara, my friend.
nuq 'oH ponglIj'e'?
What is your name?
Duj pong vIqaw.
I remember the ship's name.
Similar words
per
Name or call
verb
language
neutral
To give a person or thing a name, or to refer to it by a particular name or designation.
Examples
'oHvaD Suto'vo'qor pong qotar.
Kotar named it Sto-vo-kor.
roD 'oHvaD juHqo' ponglu' neH.
It is usually simply called the Homeworld.
SoHvaD nuq vIpong?
What shall I call you?
puqvaD qeylIS pong vav.
The father names the child Kahless.
DujvaD may'Duj pong HoD.
The captain calls the vessel a battle cruiser.
Similar words
per
Etymology
FAQ
What does pong mean?
As a noun, pong means name. As a verb, it means to name or call a person or thing.
How is pong pronounced?
pong is pronounced /poŋ/, with ng like the final sound in English sing.
What is the plural of pong?
The explicit plural is pongmey, using -mey for things, although Klingon often leaves plural marking unstated.
Can pong mean both name and to name?
Yes. pong is both the noun name and the verb to name or call. Sentence structure shows which use is intended.
Does the verb pong mean be named?
No. The verb pong describes the active act of naming or calling someone or something. It is not a stative verb meaning be named.
What is bang pong?
bang pong is a related canonical expression meaning a term of endearment or pet name.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
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Vivid Terrapin
Aug 6
Ranks go after the name: martaq Sa'. English wants General Martok, Klingon gives you Martok general, basically.
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Cosmic Rabbit
Aug 3
bang pong is much narrower than nickname. Its the private couple endearment stuff, often noun plus -oy, and using one in public is exactly how to sound like a tourist with a death wish lol
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Humble Rabbit
Jul 30
For calling someone across the room, dont translate call as pong. That's name or call-as-name. For hey Torg, come here, just use the name as address: torgh HIghoS.
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Fluffy Zebra
Jul 28
ponglu' is useful when nobody cares who did the naming. roD 'oHvaD juHqo' ponglu' neH is more like it is usually just called the Homeworld than someone actively christening it in the sentence.
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Wild Narwhal
Jul 25
The verb pong is one of those annoying two-English-object verbs. In careful Klingon the name is the object and the person getting named takes -vaD: ghaHvaD bIl vIpong, I call him Bill.
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Trusty Pangolin
Jul 27
This fixed it for me, I kept trying to make the person the object because English does.
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Cobalt Gull
Jul 25
pongwIj, not pongwI'. that final j matters
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Pearl Dove
Jul 19
i keep seeing beginners try pongwIj jIH for my name is, and it looks tempting, but no. torgh 'oH pongwIj'e' is the safe version, even if the name being over there feels backwards at first