6. SYNTAX

6.1. Basic Sentences

6.2. Complex Sentences

6.2.1. Compound Sentences

6.2.2. Subordinate Clauses

6.2.3. Relative Clauses

6.2.4. Purpose Clauses

6.2.5. Sentences as objects

6.3. "To be"

6.4. Questions

6.5. Commands

6.6. Comparitives and superlatives

6.7. Placement of adverbial elements

6.8. Indirect objects

7. CLIPPED KLINGON

  The preceding grammatical sketch describes "proper" Klingon, that is, 
Klingon as it is taught in Klingon schools or to non-Klingons.  In 
actual day-to-day use, however, spoken Klingon may vary somewhat from 
its "proper" form, usually by leaving some elements out.  This 
abbreviated form of speaking, called Clipped Klingon by Klingon 
grammarians, is heard quite frequently in military contexts where quick - 
rather than eloquent - communication is deemed a virtue.  Probably for 
similar reasons, Clipped Klingon is used quite extensively in all walks 
of Klingon life.
  Some of the features of Clipped Klingon are described below.

7.1. Commands

  In giving commands, the imperative prefix (section 4.1.2) may be left 
off, leaving the bare verb.

        Proper Klingon: [yIbaH] /Fire (the torpedoes)!/
        Clipped Klingon: [baH]

        Proper Klingon: [wIy yIcha'] /Show the tactical display!/
        Clipped Klingon: [wIy cha']

        Proper Klingon: [He chu' yIghoS] /Follow a new course!/
        Clipped Klingon: [He chu' ghoS]

  When the object noun is critical, and what is to be done with that noun 
is obvious (or should be obvious) to the listener, that noun itself may 
serve as the command.

        Proper Klingon: [chuyDaH yIlaQ] /Fire the thrusters!/
        Clipped Klingon: [chuyDaH] /Thrusters!/

        Proper Klingon: [HaSta yIcha'] /Show the visal display!/
        Clipped Klingon: [HaSta] /Visual (display)!/

  Finally, other grammatical markers, particularly noun suffixes, may be 
left out of commands.

        Proper Klingon: [jolpa'Daq yIjaH] /Go to the transport room!/
        Clipped Klingon: [jolpa' yIjaH]

  It is not common, when noun suffixes are chopped, for the imperitive 
prefix on the verb to be dropped as well.

7.2. Responses to commands, status reports

  Responses to commands and status reports are also prone to clipping

        Proper Klingon: [So'wI' vIchu'ta'] /I have engaged the cloaking 
                        device./
        Proper Klingon: [So'wI' chu'lu'ta'] /The cloaking device has been 
                        engaged./
        Clipped Klingon: [So'wI' chu'ta'] /Cloaking device engaged./

  In the preceding example, the clipped form can correspond to to either 
a dropping of the prefix [vI-] /I-it/ or the suffix [-lu'] /indefinite 
subject/.

        Proper Klingon: [jIyajchu'] /I understand clearly./
        Clipped Klingon: [yajchu'] /Understood clearly./

  In this final example, the clipped form, lacking the pronomial prefix 
[jI-] /I/, is a likely response to a question in clipped form, such as 
[yaj'a'] /Understood?/ (compare Proper Klingon [bIyaj'a'] /Do you 
understand?/).

7.3. Duress, excitement

  When in a situation of great danger or when immediate action may be 
necessary, a Klingon is apt to drop pronomial prefixes.  This clipped 
form is also common when a Klingon is excited for some reason.

        Proper Klingon: [qama'pu' vIjonta' vIneH] /I wanted to capture 
                        prisoners./
        Clipped Klingon: [qama'pu' jonta' neH] /Wanted prisoners!/

  In context, it would be clear that the speaker is the one doing the 
wanting (and capturing), even though the pronomial prefix [vI-] /I-them/ 
is missing.