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Ferengi script

Ferengi script.

The Ferengi language was the spoken and written language of the Ferengi used on Ferenginar.

Written language[]

Classroom alphabet 2

The Ferengi alphabet (center)

Ferengi written message

A hand-written message by Rom: "Dear Quark, Used parts from your disruptor to fix the replicators. Will return them soon. – Rom."

Ferengi writing looked much like a flowchart, with many sixty degree angles. Text radiated from the center outward, which indicated the direction of writing as well. Ferengi text could be written with or without a central hexagon, radiating from one side of a hexagon only and in single horizontal lines on signs and short notes. (TNG: "Ménage à Troi"; DS9: "Body Parts").

Keiko O'Brien's classroom featured a chart depicting the English, the Bajoran, the Cardassian, and the Ferengi alphabets. The chart listed some sixty-plus Ferengi language symbols. (DS9: "The Nagus", "In the Hands of the Prophets", "Cardassians")

Odo could read written Ferengi. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

A bar in District Six on M'talas Prime featured signage in Ferengi as well as the Romulan language. (PIC: "The Next Generation")

Spoken language[]

Because Ferenginar experienced near constant rainstorms, there were 178 different Ferengi words for types of rain. Because of the high humidity, there was also no word for "crisp" in Ferengi. (DS9: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")

Words and phrases[]

Based on Quark's context ("…it's glebbening") it's not clear whether the -ing is part of the Ferengi word, or an English present participle suffix.
Lobeling may not be a true Ferengi word, but an English translation consisting of "lobe" (how Ferengi refer to their ears) and the suffix "-ling," (little.)
Nagus was presumably an English translation, as certain Earth leaders (i.e. those of Ethiopia) also bore the similar title of Negus.

Examples of spoken language[]

The following comes from the script for TNG: "Ménage à Troi":

Keh-ee Yoor-ee Dah-teh-ee…

The first part of Tog's computer security access code.
Presumably the syllables are either the names of Ferengi letters, or words, i.e numbers.
This sequence is an in-joke, making reference to the anime series Dirty Pair. Kei and Yuri are characters that appear in the series, and in Japanese, the names Kei and Yuri and Dirty Pair would be pronounced ke-i yu-ri dah-te-i pe-ah. The names of Kei and Yuri also appear written in Japanese in the Iconian written language.

The following examples are from the script for DS9: "Little Green Men":
Pip im gren tovat. Yop bree gren skin law po far.
This is all your fault. I told you to check the ship.

Yop im too, yoba. Yop sko ta yop ma.

I'm sorry, brother. I did the best I could.
    Listen file info

Goss uff wok ton.

Let us out of here.

Brik yop tal hopdrew, ki los hoem bog?

If I jumped off a roof, would you do that, too?

Gren fatarik oo-mox?

Unknown, may mean something like "What do you say I teach you how to oo-mox?"

Ya ta fa?

Unknown, may mean "Is that a yes?"

Gren fa hoe loth pex-pil?

Haven't you got that translator fixed yet?

Vo yop toe pah?

Can I have that?

Yop triska gleep do-sta gren-la.

I need that metal thing you're holding.

Neep-gren.

Thank you.

The following examples are from the script for ENT: "Acquisition".

Irr zoun nagool ahsp.

They're not responding to hails.

Cucht eeta ekrajhn-voy?

What do your scans say?

Irr gnales. Nohm setron quetsivoo!

They're alive, but unconscious. It worked!

Vaneeday.

Take us in.

Cucht nee va zeh?

Do you know this species?

Y-solah-na.

This way.

Tenda sout bazul. Ningor.

It's not on this deck. Let's go.

Gar-day latinum sou-tah!

This is worth its weight in latinum.

Sapa-moul!

Don't touch it!

Ehj saf-rey tomen-dee.

I know how to deactivate it.

Konah see-oh-mahj irr zoon.

The fools never knew what hit them.

Orink!

Look at this!

Senpa tah-moy. Lorala rrela!

She's beautiful. Exquisite lobes!
Additionally, two Ferengi phrases that were scripted for "Acquisition" but omitted from the episode also include the word "rrela". Together with what was used on screen implies the word was intended to mean "lobes".

Latinum soun teyvalah

She's probably worth a thousand bars of latinum.

Ulis tenda vool.

Ulis is waiting to hear from us.

Sop moepree.

We're clear.

La-voy Daemon.

This looks like the captain.

Letra deemo mirra!

Don't touch anything!

Klaxut.

Go ahead.

Feesha vou dole!

We hit the jackpot!

Ree-jahvey.

We'll be right here.

Guzah puh naam.

Their medicines might be valuable.

Sel tre-oght da-techt.

Roughly "Take all possible."
This phrase was scripted as "Sel tre-oght irra sul da-techt," meaning, "Take all you can." However, the sentence is edited in the final version of "Acquisition".

Ehj ocuuz sahfi?

What about the equipment?

Guzah louz.

Medicine first.

Ingala habi.

Wake him.

Ingala duk habi?

Do you command this ship?

Duk habi nakustra?

Are you the Captain?

Bok megoron duk…?

(Roughly Do you understand…?)
In the script of "Acquisition", these three Ferengi words were untranslated. In both the script and the actual episode, the words begin a sentence that starts being translated midway through, ending with the English words, "…what I'm saying?"

Appendices[]

Background information[]

The spoken Ferengi from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine seems constructed differently than that spoken in ENT: "Acquisition", though the two may be different dialects/languages.

Ferengi statements that were scripted for but don't feature in "Acquisition" include:

Lir rrela toh teepah.

Their lobes are so small.

Yrutu mahs.

She's mine.

Ehj voyet!

I saw her first!

Rrela pik'tabol…

With those lobes…

Sen-pah tou!

I found another pretty one!

Apocrypha[]

According to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Pocket) novel The 34th Rule, the Ferengi language has fifty-seven words for "customer." According to the novel Time's Enemy, there are also several words for "no," depending on how much negotiation it will take to change someone's mind.

Frinx was a Ferengi expletive used in a number of different novels, including The Fall of Terok Nor, Inferno, and the Star Trek: Titan novel Orion's Hounds.

External link[]

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