Goa'uld language




 * "What the hell does 'kree' mean?"
 * "Well, actually, it means a lot of things. Loosely translated it means 'Attention', 'Listen up', 'Concentrate'."
 * "'Yoo-hoo'?"
 * "Yes, in a matter of speaking."
 * —Daniel Jackson, responding to Jack O'Neill

The Goa'uld language is spoken by the Goa'uld and Jaffa. 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.

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.

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: Plural forms of these are created with the suffix -p, creating tap "we" and lop "you". 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.
 * Ta—I
 * Lo—you

Verbs
Verbs in Goa'uld do not inflect for tense or person. Therefore, the Goa'uld verb tal pac can, depending on the situation, mean "to fall", "falling", "fell", "will fall", et cetera. 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.

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 as "in the beginning", and not "in the end" or "not now", although it could mean either. The phrase mel nok "after now" is used to mean "later", while nokia is used to mean "earlier".

Kree
The word kree has many meanings, but it is in essence used as a general call to attention or a call to duty. It is often used as a generic call to action, being translated as "be prepared", "aim", "listen up", "let's go", or even (as O'Neill once quipped) "yoo-hoo". Kree can be combined with verbs to indicate action or as an imperative. For example, kree hol means "We are going", "Let's go", and by adding mel "to die, to end" it becomes kree hol mel "We are standing by" or "Wait." It is frequently heard addressed to a particular group, as in, Jaffa, kree! (alternatively kree Jaffa!) "Listen up, Jaffa!" or "Jaffa, Attention!" It is occasionally heard addressed to other groups, such as Tok'ra, kree! (particularly in Season 2), Tau'ri kree!, Goa'uld kree!, and Shol'vah kree!.

Lo'tar
In Goa'uld, tar is a shortened slang form of tau'ri "Human". Lotar literally translates as "You, human", which is probably how the word originated. Over time it evolved to become a very prestigious position among slaves to the Goa'uld.

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" or 'traitor'. Some Jaffa, such as Teal'c, became notorious examples of the Shol'va, renouncing his "god" as divine.

Modifying words
In Goa'uld, adverbs come before the verb they modify. Sometimes, a direct object will precede the verb, rather than follow it.

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". Broken down, this sentence is composed of two segments: lo ... meta satak Oz "You ... are speaking to the great Oz" interpolated with ... tak ... satak Oz "... I am ... the great Oz" — both of these ideas are conveyed simultaneously within the sentence.

Writing
The Goa'uld use several different forms of writing, most of which are based on Egyptian hieroglyphics (though the show claims the reverse). There is also a cursive Goa'uld script that appears to have been created from scratch.

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 different episodes. Another hieroglyph font used in the series was the Meroitic script font. 

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, show 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.

A

 * Anise — "Noble strength"
 * Al'kesh — Mid range bomber
 * Arik tree'ac te kek — We do not surrender, even in death.
 * Aray Kree — Stay where you are
 * Ashrak — "Hunter", a high ranking Goa'uld assassin
 * Avidan — Gods are just

B

 * Bashaak — "Wooden staff" used in training Jaffa warriors/Jaffa training
 * Benna! Ya wan ya duru! = Kneel before your masters!

C

 * Cal Mah — Sanctuary
 * Cha'hai — Be without fear
 * Cha'tii — Warrior apprentice
 * Chappa'ai — Stargate
 * Chappa'ko — Supergate
 * Chel hol — Greeting
 * Chel nak — Very cool
 * Chel nok — Good luck, very well wishes
 * Chula a lazla — Do you choose

D

 * Dal shakka mel! — I die free!
 * Delmac — Control crystal
 * Depet reshwet herew — And now I awaken only to die again

G

 * Goach, sha kree, lo Goa'uld — Tok'ra password response
 * Goa'uld — God, Children of the Gods

H

 * Hakorr kra terak shree — Banished to oblivion
 * Hak'tyl — Indepenence/Liberation
 * Hal mek — Hold!
 * Hara'kesh — torture device
 * Harcesis — the child of two Goa'uld hosts
 * Hasshak — Weakling, fodder, fool (insult)
 * Ha'taaka — Slayer of children, poisoner of minds, the forgotten (insult)
 * Ha'tak — Attack vessel, or simply attack
 * Hok'tar — Slang for "advanced human"
 * Hol — Hold, stop
 * Hol mel — Hold your fire

I

 * In'trom popra cursor're — To enter by infiltration
 * Intar — Stun weapon used during training

J

 * Jaffa — Servant/slave
 * Joma secu — Challenge of leadership (Follow me)

K

 * Kal kek m'al shol'va — Ready to die, traitor?
 * Kal mek — Location
 * Kalach — Soul
 * Kalach shal tek! — Victory or death! (Soul returns home)
 * Kal'ma — Child
 * Kara kesh — Hand device
 * Kek — Kill, dead, weakness (from Unas "keka")
 * Kel — Where, when is, what, what is
 * Kel mal tak Tauri! — Destroy the people of Earth!
 * Kel mar tokeem — Revenge by the wearer of horns
 * Ket mattet — Jaffa challenge
 * Kel nok shree Jaffa — I am no Jaffa
 * Kel'no'pah — Lightning strike
 * Kelno'reem — Jaffa meditation/meditative trance
 * Kel shak — What, what is it, what is going on
 * Klavel ha — Too late.
 * Korush'nai — Turn back, radioactive contamination
 * Kree — Attention, listen, yoo-hoo
 * Kree no tel, Reenlokia! — The Asgard are approaching!
 * Kree shac, shel nok — Bite me
 * Kree tak? — Is this a trick?
 * Kree tal shal mak! — Identify yourself!
 * Kresh'taa — Outcast, banished, untouchable, not of the people

L

 * Leaa — Listen
 * Lek tol — Signing off
 * Lok'nel — Ancient Jaffa martial arts
 * Lo'taur — A Goa'uld's personal Human servant (slang literally meaning "You, Human!"), High ranking Human slave

M

 * Mak — My identity
 * Mak lo onak! — Oh my god!
 * Mak tal shree! — I am a lord.
 * M'al Sharran — Last Rite
 * Mashur-nat — Mutation
 * Mastaba — Form of Jaffa martial arts
 * Mekta satak Oz! — My identity is the Great and Powerful Oz!
 * Mel nok tee! — Evacuate now!
 * Mikta — Ass (insult)
 * Mok — Your identity
 * Mol kek! — Kill them all!

N

 * Na'onak — Not a god
 * Naqahdah — quartzite stone
 * Naquadria — a modified form of naquadah
 * Nek'sed — Lightning cannon
 * Nemeth kree! — You dare touch me!
 * Nish'ta — Biological brainwashing compound
 * Niss trah! — I am here!

O

 * Obi-tan — Halt!
 * Onak — Goa'uld, God —Also the Unas word for the Goa'uld
 * Onak sha kree, shel Goa'uld. — What god do you worship? (Tok'ra password)
 * Orak — Unspeakable, referring to Kull Warriors

P

 * Pal tiem shree tal ma. — Our love does not end in death.
 * Peltac — Bridge of the ship
 * Prata — Puberty
 * Prim'ta — Larval Goa'uld (also the ceremony of implatation)

Q

 * Quell shak — Please

R

 * Ra'kek — Sunburst grenade
 * Ral tora ke — Good luck
 * Roshna — Drug used by the Ilempiri that keeps them slaves of the Goa'uld, mixed in their water
 * Reenlokia — Asgard
 * Remoc — The end of a journey
 * Rin nok! — Silence!
 * Rin tel nok! — Protect me now!
 * Ring kol nok — Strategy

S

 * Shal kek — Dismissed
 * Shal met — A toast/good health
 * Shal tek — Return home, dial home
 * Shek kree — A declaration of shame
 * Shel kek nem ron — I die free (passcode among the Rebel Jaffa)
 * Shesh'ta — Goa'uld currency/Jaffa unit of money
 * Shim'roa — Honeymoon
 * Shin tel? — What's going on?
 * Shol'va — Traitor/heretic
 * Sim'ka — Betrothed

T

 * Tacluchnatagamuntoron — Automatic remote weapon, heat-seeking, small globe shaped device ("Deadman Switch")
 * Tak — Trick
 * Tak mal tiak — Greeting/You are remembered
 * Tak mal arik tiak — You will not be forgotten
 * Tal — Wait
 * Tal mak — A world on which life is now extinct
 * Tal'ma'te — Affectionate greeting, farewell
 * Tal met. Priem ta shree, tal ma — Our love does not end in death
 * Tal pat ryn — Falling star
 * Tal shak! — Attack
 * Tal shaka mel! — I die free!
 * Tar — Goa'uld Slang for Tau'ri
 * Tau'ri — The first ones, Earth, the people of Earth
 * Teal'c — "strength"
 * Tek'ma'te/Tec'ma-te — Friend, greeting of respect
 * Tek'ma'tek — Friends well met. We come in peace, be welcome
 * Tel — I, I have
 * Tel kol — I beg your pardon
 * Tel'tak — Cargo vessel
 * Tok — Against
 * Tok'ra — Resistance (literally, "against Ra")

U

 * Unas — the First Ones

V

 * Vo'cume — Holographic projector

Y

 * Ya duru arik kek onac — I honor him who would kill his god

Z

 * Zat'nik'tel — Goa'uld energy weapon
 * Za'tarc — Programmed assassin