Goa'uld language

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The Goa'uld language is a fictional language spoken by the Goa'uld and Jaffa from the television series Stargate SG-1. The Goa'uld language started out as the Unas Language, but it was limited by the vocal abilities of the Unas. As the Goa'uld started to take more human hosts, their language developed and became a primary influence for Ancient Egypt. It is now the lingua franca of the Milky Way galaxy and has retained that status in spite of the fall of the System Lords.

1 Grammar
2 Dictionary
3 See also

[edit] Grammar

The grammar of the Goa'uld language is fairly simple to grasp, the language uses a subject verb object (SVO) word order, as in English.

[edit] Pronouns

The pronouns of Goa'uld are fairly simple. At present, it is believed that Goa'uld has no third-person pronoun; instead, one uses the proper noun for that object.

The pronouns are:

"Ta"=I
"Lo"=You

To form the plural of either of the above pronouns, one simply adds the suffix -p. For example: "Tap"=We, "Lop"=you all. The proper noun can also be used instead of the pronoun. It is unknown as to whether any special suffixes are used to indicate possession.

[edit] Verbs

In Goa'uld there seem to be no verb forms; that is, past, present and future tense are the same. The verb remains the same regardless of the subject (no conjugation). For example: "tal pac"=to fall, falling, fell, will fall, etc. In general, the context of the situation or time phrases in a sentence will indicate when the verb is taking place, as in most forms of Chinese.

[edit] Suffix order

Suffixes will be numbered (1), (2), (3) in the order that they belong. Intentionally or unintentionally, this is similar to the Klingon language; if the former, it could be a complex joke (a thing for which SG-1 writers are notorious). For example:
"nok"(now) with "-ia"(not)(1) and "-k"(to be) (2) is "nokiak" (in the beginning there was). Notice that this is translated to "in the beginning" and not "in the end" or "not now", although it could mean either. One could say "mel nok" or 'after now'. Therefore, "mel nok" is almost exclusively used to mean 'later', while "nokia" is used for 'earlier'.

[edit] Kree

The word "Kree" has many meanings, but essentially, it means attention or be ready ("yoo hoo" as O'Neill once said). It also means prepared, in action (not inaction), aim, and prepare. "Kree" can be combined with verbs to say that a thing is happening. For example: "Kree" + "Hol" (execute, engange, go) = 'we are going' or 'Go!' by adding "mel" (to die, to expire, to end) it becomes "Kree hol mel" (standby, halt, wait). It is frequently heard in the common order, "Jaffa, Kree!" (Listen up, Jaffa!,or Jaffa, Attention!) It is occasionally heard as "Tok'ra, Kree!" (particularly in Season 2), meaning essentially the same thing among the Tok'ra. Tau'ri Kree, Goa'uld Kree, and Shol'vah Kree are also used.

[edit] Lo'tar

In Goa'uld, "Tar" is slang for "Tau'ri" or 'Human'. This word literally translates "You, human"; which is probably how it began. Over time it evolved to become a very prestigious position among slaves to the Goa'uld. It is possible that this is a nod to Blizzard Entertainment's "Lok'Tar" as said by Orcs in the Warcraft franchise.

[edit] Shol'va

This is a pejorative term used by Jaffa and System Lords alike to refer to betrayers of their "god" - it is akin to the term "heretic". Some Jaffa, such as Teal'c, became notoriously famous paradigms of the Shol'va, renouncing his "god" as divine.

[edit] Modifying words

In Goa'uld, adverbs go before the verb they modify. And sometimes, a direct object will precede the verb, rather than follow it.

[edit] Dual sentence

Goa'uld is a very powerful language because of the dual sentence ability of the language. This allows two separate ideas to be expressed in one sentence. If the ideas have a common word, then it is only said or written once, saving time and effort.

For example:

"Lo tak meta satak oz" means both 'You are speaking to the great Oz' and 'I am the great OZ'. If we break it down, we see "Lo - meta satak Oz" You(Lo) speaking to(meta) great Oz (satak Oz). We also see "Tak - satak Oz" I am(Tak) the great Oz (satak Oz).

[edit] Writing

One of the various Goa'uld alphabets seen on Stargate SG-1

The Goa'uld use several different forms of writing, most of which are based on Egyptian hieroglyphics, or vice-versa. There is also a cursive Goa'uld script that appears not be based on anything in particular.

The alphabet illustrated has been seen in the series, in a text message sent by the Goa'uld to the SGC. It is the only Goa'uld script in the series that can be translated easily. The alphabet in the series is actually the Nahkt hieroglyphic font, and it was used to write various jokes in the series. Another hieroglyph font used in the series was the Meroitic script font. [1]

It was originally believed that Goa'uld is usually written left to right, top to bottom. However, official documents of the Free Jaffa Nation, as seen in the offices of Gerak and other Jaffa High Councillors, have Goa'uld written from top to bottom; as yet, it is unknown whether the columns begin on the right (as Chinese characters traditionally do) or on the left (as with the Mongolian alphabet).

The Goa'uld have also been known to use various other ancient scripts and languages. Among them are; Greek, Chinese characters, Cuneiform, Cretan Linear A and Maya hieroglyphics.

[edit] Dictionary

A'roush = village
Ai'emain = Stand up!/ Rise!
Al'kesh = Goa'uld mid-range bomber ("Exodus")
Aray Kree = Stay where you are ("There But For the Grace of God")
Ash'rak = hunter ("In the Line of Duty")

Ba'ja'kakma'te = I greet you, too. Response to Tek'ma'tae (greeting of respect)
Bashaak = Wooden training staffs used by Jaffa students. Also refers to the training ritual of Jaffa
Bi'bo = Do you want? / Take!
Bonniewae = very good; tasteful
Bradio = Come on! /Hurry!/ Now go!

Cal mah = Sanctuary

"...know that this place IS sanctuary. This is Cal mah!" ("The Warrior")

Chal'tii = Untrained warrior

"I have trained these warriors since they were Chal'tii." ("The Serpent's Lair")

Chappa'ai = Stargate(although Jaffa occasionally use the term "stargate" instead of their own language("Secrets")

Chappa'ko = Supergate
Chell'nak = very cool (direct translation from "The Tok'ra Part 2") or good luck
Cra = to (I went "cra" the store)

Delmac = crystal

"There should be three delmacs... Crystals. There should be three crystals." ("Deadman Switch")

Di'bro, das weiafei, doo'wa = People, welcome them, the gods have come!
Di'dak'dida = You dare?!
Dis'tra = master

Fi nu = Finish!

Goa'uld = Symbiote/God
Gonach = An insult, exact meaning unknown.

Hakor = To banish
Hak'tyl = Liberation
Hara kesh = torture device
Harsesis = the child of two Goa'uld
Ha'shak = Someone, who is very weak / fool (O'Neill pronounced it "Hassak")
Ha'taaka = Vile one
Ha'tak = Goa'uld mothership ("Within the Serpent's Grasp"), also means 'attack'

"Jaffa, ha'tak!" ("Into the Fire")

Heelk'sha = Gods of the underworld
Hi'ato = Walk on!
Hok = Good/Advanced
Hok'tar = Advanced human, from Hok/Advanced, and Tar/slang for Human/Tau'ri ("Rite of Passage")
Hol = Execute, engage, go

-ia = not
I'jaji'biai = May I have that?
I ra be'bju = Is this for me?
Intar = Stun weapon used during training ("Rules of Engagement")

Jankin = Search or tell at once
Joma Secu = Challenge of leadership (The Warrior)
Ju' = To see
Ju'iu = See!

-K = to be
Kalash = One's soul
Kegalo = Silence!
Ke'i = Kneel!
Kek = Death or weakness
Kel = Hello, Greetings
Kel no'reem = meditative state
Kel sha = Hello / I greet you
Kel mar tokeem = "Revenge by the wearer of the horn"
Kel'nok shree = I am not
Khek = Weakness/Death
Ki'banja'swei = We must hide!
Kitel = Light
Korosh-ni = "Turn back." A symbol left by Goa'uld Destroyers for their brethren near the Stargate on planets they have wiped out, leaving the surface radioactive ("There But For the Grace of God")
Kree = Attention, listen up, concentrate, yoo hoo... loosely translated (translation from "Point of View")
Kree'ta = Stop that / Go away from there
Krist'a = Outcast

Lek tol = Goodbye
Lo = you
Lo'tar = personal attendants to the System Lords, the highest honor a human can attain in their ranks ("Summit")—from Lo, you, and Tar, "human" (see Hok'tar, above); presumably, a System Lord would say that to his personal slave often.

Ma'binim = What's that?
Mai'tac = Damn
Me'la = To make (meh-lah)
Mel = To die/to expire/to end
Meta = to say
Mid'cha = Pay attention.
Mi'la = everything (mee-lah)
Mi'la tu'tu = Is everything all right?
Mikta = ass (Assumed)

"And you, O'Neill, you're considered... well, you're a pain in the mikta." "Neck?" "No." ("Deadman Switch")

Nafi = Right!
Nanb'tu'qua = How are you?
Na'noweia si'taia = "You are here to destroy me"
Naquadah = quartzite stone
Ne'nai = not / do not
Nema = Priest
Niush nio = Everyone, look!
Noc'ri'ton = Help me out of here!
Nok = now
Nowe = Here (as in handing something back)

Onac = person, a sentient entity
Or' = here is a/the (Or'onac shol'va = here is the traitor)
Orak = unspeakable

"With those orak [i.e. Kull Warriors] at his command, Baal has tipped the balance of power in his favor." ("New Order")

Pa'kree = So what's up now?/What's up?
Pel'tak = bridge or command center (most commonly one of a Ha'tak vessel) ("Within the Serpent's Grasp")
Prim = To join/To unite
Prim'ta = ceremony of implantation or the larval Goa'uld itself, literally "unite with me" (first definition from "Bloodlines")

Quell'shak = Advise us!

Ra'sapai = Is this yours?
Rai = star
Renek = Honor/Bow yourself
Rhe'u = Stay back!
Rin'tel'noc = Go away from here!
Ris'vi he'u = Close the doors

Satak = great/the great

"Tak satak Oz!" ("I am the Great Oz!"--said by Daniel Jackson to buy time while Selmak repaired their ship) ("Tangent")

Se'biu = Come with us?
Shak'ti'qua = "What do you think you are doing?"
Shal'kek = Leave us
Shal'kek nem'ron = (Passphrase used by members of the Jaffa Resistance to identify each other). Literally means "I die free".
Sha'lokma'kor = Get them / Kill them
Shes'ta = Goa'uld currency
Shi'bio diu = Strangers
Shol'va = traitor; also heretic, as to betray the Goa'uld is to betray one's gods

"This was the home of shol'va." ("Bloodlines")

Shor'wai'e! = Hurry up!
Si'nu [seenoo] = Wait!
Swai'c = understood?

Ta = I
Tacluchnatagamuntoron/Tacs = Automatic remote weapon, heat-seeking, small globe shaped device ("Deadman Switch")
Tak = I am
Tal'bet = Capitulate! Surrender
Tal'chak'amel = I won't do that
Tal'pac = To fall
Tal'mac = I am / My name is
Tal mal'tiak mal we'ia = I am honored
Tal'pac rai = falling star ("A Hundred Days")
Tal'shak = Come on / Do it
Tao've'nu = You won't believe it / It's unbelievable
Tau'ri = humans of Earth, literally "Those of First World" ("The Enemy Within")
Teal'c = strength ("Past and Present")
Tek'ma'tae = greeting of respect, master ("The Warrior")
Tek'ma'tek = "friends well met" a greeting ("The Warrior")
Terac Shri = oblivion
Ti'bia = (thats) yours
Ti'u = yes
Tok = against ("The Tok'ra Part 1")
Tok'ra = against Ra/Resistance ("The Tok'ra Part 1")
Tuat = the underworld
Tun'cma'le = great/super

Unas = the first one ("Thor's Hammer")

Vi'toi = Give me that
Vo'cume = device for recording and transmitting messages ("Rules of Engagement")

Ya'isid ma'gue = We must leave!
Ya'ol'wa [Shaol'wa] = What is the matter?
Yõ = Stop!/Listen!

Zat'n'ktel/Zat = sidearms used to stun, kill or disintegrate targets ("Within the Serpent's Grasp")

[edit] See also

Alien races in the Stargate universe		Edit
Four Great Races	Ancients, Asgard, Furling, Nox
Humans	Tau'ri, Tollan, Aschen, Genii, Athosians, Prior, Jaffa: Sodan, Free Jaffa, Hak'tyl
Goa'uld	System Lords, Tok'ra, Kull Warrior
Other	Asurans, Iratus bug, Ori, R-75, Re'ol, Re'tu, Replicator, "Spirits", Unas, Wraith