ALIEN DICTIONARIES

That 20% of the actual complex's staff is Canadian makes me enjoy even more some of the friendly sniping from the show and spinoffs, which were shot in Vancouver and often had some fun with it. ‘Shel kek nem ron’ Appears to be a standard first-greeting code among rebel Jaffa, and is used to mean ‘I will die free’ (although it sounds nothing like ‘dal shakka mel’, which means ‘I die free’.) (Birthright) Teal’c greets Moloc’s forces with this phrase when they capture him, clearly hoping to find some rebels among them.

Goa'uld Language | Unas Language | Ancient Language

GOA'ULD LANGUAGE

UNAS LANGUAGE

ANCIENT LANGUAGE

Stargate glyphs as spoken sounds:

CLA

TA

NAS

The Ancient alphabet:

B

D

F

H

J

L

N

P

R

T

V

X

Z

Written Ancient phrases:

THE TREASURE IS IN THIS POT

THE UNIVERSE IS INFINITE

REFLECT ON THE EIGHTFOLD PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

Break out of the frame | Updated April 12, 2006 | Get the frame back

(this includes Goa'uld, Jaffa, Abydonian, and ancient Egyptian terms)

Blame any bizarre variations in spelling on whoever close-captions the show. Argh.
(My kingdom for a real lexicon!)

A

A kek hasshak. Ya duru!

At a guess, 'These [expletive of choice] are too weak to live. Take them!' [or 'execute them!' or something similar, possibly with the subtext of 'do the honorable thing by killing them'] The Jaffa overseer sneered this toward workers who were failing at their task, and Jaffa guards started dragging them away to stand them in front of a firing squad.

Broken down, 'kek' means 'weak' or 'dead', and 'hasshak' is an insult meaning 'fool', more or less -- 'ya duru' has no direct translation, but was part of a greeting from K'tano/Imhotep to Teal'c. (Orpheus)

al-kesh

a mid-range bomber has cloaking capabilities (Exodus)

ashrak

assassin (In the Line of Duty)

See ashrak for details

Arik tree-ac te kek

'We do not surrender, even in death' (spoken at a Tok'ra funeral) (Allegiance)

Icon)

B

bashaak

Shel Kek Nem Ron Meaning

First mentioned as a particular type of training (Bra'tac, of Fro'tak and Teal'c 'Both were my wards during the bashaak training') (Family)

Later, training (wooden) staff weapons (The Warrior)

C

cal mah

sanctuary (Serpent's Song)

chaapa'ai

stargate (Children of the Gods, multiple others)

cha'hai

Probably either 'it's okay' or 'relax' or 'lower your weapons' -- Daniel follows it in English with 'lower your weapons' (Children of the Gods)

cha'tii

(possibly 'cha'til' -- the closed-captioning was hard to read)

No direct translation, but something on the order of 'boys', 'apprentices', 'very young warriors' (Bra'tac 'I have trained these warriors since they were cha'tii.' ) (Serpent's Lair)

chel nak

'very cool' (literal translation) (Tok'ra, part 2)

chel nok

(alternative spelling chal-nak)

Probably 'good luck' (Shaq'nel to Teal'c, Bra'tac, and Rya'c as they head down to a planet to take on Anubis's forces -- Redemption, part 2, andBra'tac to Adal as he left to protect their escape route -- Evolution, part 1)

chula a lazla

'are you here to choose', more or less. (asked by the Jaffa on Chulak who ran into Daniel on the path) (Children of the Gods)

D

dal shakka mel

'I die free' (The Nox)

delmak

'crystal' ('There should be three delmaks.... Crystals. There should be three crystals.') (Deadman Switch)

depet reshwet herew

'And now I awaken only to die again.' (Serpent's Song)

G

gal a'quel

Probably 'hand it over' -- a Jaffa says this to Sam and holds his hand out, waiting for her to give him a crystal (Homecoming)

'Gonach!'

No direct translation.

Cronus says this as he and the others storm out of the first few minutes of negotiations to make Earth a protected planet, staring straight at Jack and in an unpleasant tone. Nirrti uses it later, to Yu, in an equally unpleasant tone, when he makes it clear that he believes that she's the one who tried to kill Cronus and disrupt the negotiations with the Asgard and Tau'ri. Clearly an insult of some sort. (Fair Game)

grel-kar

No translation given (Icon)

H

hakorr kra terak shree

'banished to oblivion' (The Curse)

hak'tyl

'liberation' (Birthright)

hal mek

Possibly 'hold your fire' -- what K'tano/Imhotep says to Nirrti's Jaffa when he walks into the middle of live fire to recruit them to his cause. (The Warrior)

hara kash

Ring device, carried by the ashrak who hunted Jolinar down. When activated, three gems each produce a beam of light that rise into a pyramid, which in turn generates a much stronger energy beam. It's aimed at the victim's head, and can be fatal. (In the Line of Duty)

hasshak

insult basically meaning fool (Bloodlines)

ha'taaka

Jaffa term of insult, similar to 'shol'va', or traitor (Family)

heelksha

'gods of the underworld' (Broca Divide)

hok'tar

'advanced human' (Rite of Passage)

hol mel

No direct translation

Probably something like 'hold your fire' -- Teal'c shouts it twice to an AR-Jaffa who's aiming a zat at AR-Carter, and the Jaffa holds his fire long enough for her to escape. (Point of View)

I

in'trom popra cursor're

'to enter by infiltration.' (Goa'uld dialect similar to Latin) (Legacy)

J

'Jama! Chel'ets!'

No direct translation.

What Trofsky says to the three Jaffa accompanying him during the fight in the corridors surrounding the fake SGC. The four of them turn and leave. (Into the Fire)

joma secu

'challenge of leadership' -- a duel to the death to decide who is more worthy (and has the right) to lead.

Possibly a purely Jaffa term, although that isn't definite. (The Warrior)

K

kalach

'soul' (Need)

kalach shal tek

'victory or death' (The Warrior)

kal kek m'al shol'va

something the brainwashed Teal'c snarls to Bra'tac. Bra'tac's reply is 'Where is your god now?' (Threshold)

(at a total guess, it's something like 'you die a traitor' implying that Bra'tac is going to die at Teal'c's hands in Apophis's name -- but that is *totally* a guess, based on 'dal shakka mel' meaning 'I die free' and 'm'al sharran' meaning 'last rite'. Later 'kek' is defined as 'weak' or 'dead', which supports the guess, but there's still no direct translation.)

kal mek

No direct translation.

Probably means 'where are you?' since that's what Teal'c's saying in English at the time (Threshold)

kal'ma

'child' (Crossroads)

kek

Both 'death' and 'weakness' -- the Jaffa use one word for both, 'for if one is weak, one may as well be dead', according to Teal'c. (Orpheus)

kel

No direct translation.

Possibly 'bring' or something similar.

Apophis says 'Kel Amaunet' to his Jaffa on Abydos, right before Amaunet appears and says 'I'm here, my lord.'

Heru'ur's 'Kel shak, Jaffa?' could be something like 'have you brought me something?', and Teal'c's answer ('Kel shak, Heru'ur') could be 'yes, I've brought you something, Heru'ur.') (Secrets)

'kel ma kree sha'shan, kel ma ta'i, or' intani, kel han'dai, iti sha'shan handai'

ancient lullaby sung to infants (Family)

'Kel, mak, Goa'uld! Kree tak!'

No direct translation.

Probably something along the lines of 'who are you, and why should I take orders from you?' -- it's what Trofsky says to Jack, whom he believes has been goa'ulded, when Jack comes across the plain yelling 'Kree!' at them. (Into the Fire)

kel mar tokeem

Jaffa term meaning 'revenge by the wearer of horns', a reference to being a cuckold. (Family)

kel nok

No direct translation

Probably a greeting of some sort -- Teal'c said it to AR-Teal'c the moment they met. (Point of View)

Kel nor shol ak'ra. Reltac. Tel shek anfar, tel nor moklan n'ral.

(Apparently, instructions on finding and moving canisters -- a Jaffa says this to two other Jaffa who grab things out of a storage room and remove them. But for all I know, 'Ak'ra' and 'N'ral' are actually the two Jaffas's names.) (Homecoming)

kelno'reem

deep meditation, hibernation

kel shak

No direct translation.

Could mean something (very loosely) like '[will] do [my/your] bidding'

When Apophis tells his Jaffa that they'll wait till Klorel wakes up to start attacking Earth, the Jaffa replies with 'Kel shak, Apophis', which could be something like 'as you wish' (Within the Serpent's Grasp)

Appears to be both interrogatory and responsive.

Heru'ur: 'Kel shak, Jaffa?'

Teal'c as Horus Guard: 'Kel shak, Heru'ur.' (Secrets)

Possible alternative meaning could be 'what is this' or 'who are you'

AR-Teal'c says it when he sees 'our' Teal'c, disguised as him, holding a staff weapon on him. (Point of View)

see quellshak

kel shal, kree, shol'va

Something Teal'c says to a roomful of Jaffa before ringing down to a planet with Va'lar, who's been sentenced to death (Threshold)

kel tal shree, shol'va

Something the brainwashed Teal'c snarls at Bra'tac when Bra'tac is talking about them working together. (Threshold)

(more guesses: 'kel' could mean 'revenge' or 'vengeance' [see 'kel mar tokeem'], 'shree' could mean 'banished' or 'oblivion' [see 'hakor kra terak shree']. So it could be a nice concise way of saying 'you're going to be obliterated in vengeance for your actions, traitor'. Or not. Oh, for a translator for these!)

keltesh

a flanking attack from two sides (Icon)

ket mattet

challenge (to a duel, presumably to the death)

kin'dra

possibly 'second in command' (Birthright)

kla mel kalak

What Bra'tac said to a dying, scared Moac. (Maternal Instinct)

'Koracca aseemu!'

No direct translation.

It's Cronus's reply to Nirrti'sinitial comment at the negotiation table. He says it in a soft but tight voice, with one hand almost patting the air the impression is almost 'don't make waves yet'. (Fair Game)

kor mak

A pair of matched bracelets used to control prisoners during transport -- one went on the prisoner's wrist and one on the wrist of the Jaffa guarding him. If the two were separated for too long, both of them would collapse and die. (Avalon part 1)

'Kornak kree! Keena arik Asgard.'

No direct translation.

It's Yu's response to Nirrti's and Cronus's byplay at the start of the negotiations, and is accompanied by a fist thumping down on the table. It's definitely a scolding. (Fair Game)

korush-nai

'turn back', used on a planet destroyed by the Goa'uld and left contaminated by radiation. (There But For the Grace of God)

kree

'attention', 'listen up', 'concentrate'... 'Yoo-hoo'

'Kree no Tel, Reenlokia!'

No direct translation.

Possibly something along the lines of 'look, something's coming, from [the] Reenlokia [sector]!' -- a Jaffa says it to AR-Apophis and points at a radar-type screen showing a blip coming in fast, just before the Asgard show up and start beaming out Apophis and various Jaffa. (Point of View)

kree nok, Jaffa

No direct translation.

Given other phrases (such as 'chel nok'), this could possibly mean something like 'you're out of luck, Jaffa' -- but that's a total guess. One of Moloc's Jaffa says it to Teal'c as he captures him, possibly before he knows who Teal'c is (Teal'c's back is turned). (Sacrifices)

kree-nor

No translation given (Icon)

Kree. Ria-nok.

No direct translation.

Probably means something like 'get out' -- one of Ra's Jaffa said it to Ra's worshipers after Ra left the temple, and everyone started to leave. (Moebius part 1)

kresh'taa

Outcasts, living outside the city (Bloodlines)

L

lako harrah a lazla

Probably 'they have come to choose' (Spoken by the Jaffa who brought the team to the Chulak citadel, apparently in explanation of their presence to the celebrants around the table. See chula a lazla) (Children of the Gods)

leaa

probably 'come here' or 'gather round' (what Daniel said to the Abydonians to gather them around him so he could tell them he was leaving and they should rebury their gate) (Children of the Gods)

lo assak

no translation given (Icon)

lok'nel

An ancient form of martial arts training. (Affinity)

'Lok shak, tal makka kree!'

No translation.

What Hathor says to 'Dr. Raully' when the fake SGC comes under attack. (Into the Fire)

lo'taur

The highest-ranking human slave of a Goa'uld, basically a personal attendant. It's considered a position of honor. (Summit)

M

Mai-aka maki.

Kasuf's grudgingly polite -- complete with slight bow -- response to Teal'c's initial greeting when they first meet. (Secrets)

Mak tal shree! Lok tak. Mekta satak Oz! Mok tal Oz kree!

'I am the Great and Powerful Oz' (Tangent)

m'al sharran

'The last rite', a rite in which a warrior is brought to the edge of death so the events of his life wash over him like a great wave, in hopes of reminding him who he truly is and breaking a System Lord's brainwashing. (Threshold)

mel nok tee

No direct translation

Possibly something along the lines of 'go check it out' -- AR-Apophis says it to a Jaffa who's just come in and warned him something is coming at Earth fast. (Point of View)

mikta

'ass' (as in, pain in the...) (Deadman Switch)

N

na-ney

'no' (Children of the Gods, others)

O

obi-tan or olvy sac

(The first is from aired ep closed-caption, and is closer to the sound I heard. The second is from DVD closed-caption for the same ep)

No direct translation.

Possibly 'halt' or 'freeze' -- it's the first thing Bra'tac yells at SG-1 the first time he sees them, threatening them with a staff weapon, before Teal'c comes around the corner to greet him) (Bloodlines)

'Onak arik kree.'

No direct translation.

It's Nirrti's first comment as the negotiations with the Asgard start up. (Fair Game)

'Onak holka shaka!'

No direct translation.

It's the first thing Teal'c says upon seeing Cronus and being called shol'va. (Fair Game)

orak

'unspeakable' (abomination) -- how Amaterasu described the kull warriors. (New Order)

'Orak kek! Ashah kree lok Jaffa!'

No direct translation

Possibly some version of 'get your asses over here' -- almost all the Jaffa guarding the prisoners promptly ran away, toward the voice, when this was shouted. (Evolution, part 1)

nb: the close-captioning rendered it 'cree', but the word started out with a 'k' and that's how I spell it.

oronac

No direct translation.

The very clear implication is that this is circumcision, which is performed not on infants but adult men, on the first night of their honeymoon (either by the man himself or his new wife). (Sacrifices)

P

peltak

The bridge or control room of the space ship (Within the Serpent's Grasp)

prata

'puberty' (Birthright)

prim'ta

The initial rite of implantation for a Jaffa child, around the age of puberty. (Family) It also seems to be another word for the symbiote itself, as carried by the Jaffa. (multiple eps)

Q

quellshak

This is probably actually 'kel shak', but 'quellshak' is how the closed-caption rendered it -- the gist of it seems to be 'lead us' or 'we'll follow'

Teal'c followed this with 'honor us with your guidance' as he asked Bra'tac to help them find Drey'auc and Rya'c in the outcast camps. (Bloodlines)

R

ral tora ke

'good luck' (Jaffa term) (A Hundred Days)

Rech yah... gereh... per nejes ha gareh. Set, reta...

' I have been in an unending dream. I hoped to awaken to see my wife and children.' (Serpent's Song)

rel tora ke

alternative spelling for 'ral tora ke', good luck (A Hundred Days)

remoc

Deceleration or arrival at the destination (on a ship). (Within the Serpent's Grasp)

ring kol nok

'strategy' (Icon)

rin nok, shol'va

No direct translation.

Whatever it is, it isn't pleasant: one of Moloc's Jaffa spat this out at Teal'c after slamming him in the abdomen with a staff weapon, in response to Teal'c's invitation to help him overthrow their false god. (Sacrifices)

S

Sarit

Probably something like 'listen' -- a Jaffa says it to two other Jaffa when he appears to sense something [Daniel, hiding] in a warehouse. (Homecoming)

Sech achet per taa ra sejem ched.

'I was a scribe in the Temple of Amon at Karnak, but that was another lifetime ago, before the nightmare.' (Serpent's Song)

Sejem secher hereh, neswet. Hekat irt kaping at weben taa. Weya set se rech reshwet weben. Shiak hanweysun, herew. Herew.

'I will speak the words of power and do the rites. You will be returned to Egypt and buried with honor. You will pass through the seven gates and see your wife and children again, and rejoice with them forever.' (Serpent's Song)

sha lo key

(slight emphasis on the 'lo')

'stand beside me', probably specifically meaning the equivalent of 'be my best man' at a wedding (Skaara says this to Jack when speaking of his upcoming wedding).

Possibly purely an Abydonian term. (Full Circle)

shal met

Probably the equivalent of 'cheers' -- Teal'c and Rak'nor both say it when they lift their cups to each other to drink (The Warrior)

shal-tar

No direct translation.

The context was a Jaffa guard, shouting for worshipers to present their offering (they opened the box containing the offerings), so probably something like 'open it!'. (Moebius part 1)

shek kree

No direct translation.

Possibly something along the lines of 'for shame!' given the context both times it's used. (Threshold)

'Shel kek nem ron'

Appears to be a standard first-greeting code among rebel Jaffa, and is used to mean 'I will die free' (although it sounds nothing like 'dal shakka mel', which means 'I die free'.) (Birthright)

Teal'c greets Moloc's forces with this phrase when they capture him, clearly hoping to find some rebels among them. (Sacrifices)

shel kree

In context (Ishta snapping it at Neith to cut off a diatribe), it seemed to mean something like 'silence!' or 'enough!' (Birthright)

Shel Kek Nem Rona

Shel mak. Shel assah.

No translation

It's what Teal'c says as he lights Drey'auc's funeral pyre. (Redemption, part 1)

shel na kree

No direct translation.

What one of Moloc's Jaffa shouted to Teal'c ('Jaffa, shel na kree!'), in a situation where a cop would be yelling 'freeze! Keep your hands where I can see them!' (Sacrifices)

This is likely at least related to 'shel-norak', which was used in a similar situation where Jaffa had just captured several people.

Given the similarity between the situations and phrases, 'shel' probably means something like 'surrender', 'hold it', and 'na kree' is along the lines of 'right there/now!', where 'norak' probably meant something more to do with weapons or the number of people being captured. These are pure guesses, though.

shel-norak:

Possibly 'surrender', 'lower your weapons', 'don't try it', etc. -- a Jaffa says it to Teal'c [who had just drawn a zat] after he and his squad have surrounded Teal'c, Sam, and Ambassador Dreylock Teal'c and Sam lower their weapons and surrender. (Homecoming)

shesh'ta:

Jaffa unit of money (Family)

shim'roa

No direct translation, but clearly 'honeymoon' -- Teal'c tells Rya'c he's chosen well for his shim'roa, immediately after Rya'c's wedding and when Rya'c is speaking of a very romantic spot. Rya'c replies that Bra'tac had told him that this spot was where Teal'c had taken Drey'auc. (Sacrifices)

This term is possibly Jaffa-specific -- I can't see the Goa'uld going off on a honeymoon somewhere.

Shim rota! Shim rota! Reta! Reta!

No translation. (Serpent's Song)

shol'va:

Traitor, term used to refer to Teal'c (Bloodlines)

shweek:

Probably the equivalent of 'hands up' -- Bra'tac yells it repeatedly at SG-1 the first time he sees them, threatening them with a staff weapon, before Teal'c comes around the corner to greet him. (Bloodlines)

sim'ka

'fiance(e)', 'betrothed' (Sacrifices)

sin kesiw... Pet taa ra achet. Himyah kaiek arcunay.

'This funerary statue will take your last breath and carry your soul back to Egypt.' (Serpent's Song)

T

tal bet

Probably either 'surrender' or 'put down your weapons' (Bra'tac shouts it at Jaffa who promptly put down their weapons) (Into the Fire)

tal lak

probably 'lifeless' (Teal'c: 'This world is most definitely tal lak. Though it once supported life, it is now extinct.' ) (Message in a Bottle)

tak mal tiak

Greeting of some sort, probably respectful (what K'tano/Imhotep says to Bra'tac when he meets him).

(or possibly something along the lines of 'you are a memorable person', given the meaning of 'tak mal arik tiak', below) (The Warrior)

Tak mal arik tiak

'You will not be forgotten' (spoken at a Tok'ra funeral) (Allegiance)

Tal mal tiak. Mal we-ia.

(Teal'c's respectful first greeting to Kasuf, which he follows with 'I am honored.' Kasuf replies: 'Mai-aka maki' and bows slightly) (Secrets)

tal mak

A world that once supported life that is now extinct. (Message in a Bottle)

(alternate spelling to tal lak, above)

tal ma'te

expression of greeting (Crossroads)

Tal met. Priem ta shree, tal ma

'Our love does not end in death.' (Crossroads)

tal pak ryd:

Jaffa term for 'falling star' (dvd subtitle) (A Hundred Days)

tal pat ryn:

Jaffa term for 'falling star' (tv closed-caption) (A Hundred Days)

Tana-akal mal tar. Jaya-nok-shol.

Ra said this before having his Jaffa shoot a worshiper whose offering didn't please him. According to Daniel, he said he 'will not tolerate such disrespect from his followers.' (Moebius part 1)

tar:

slang for 'human' (short for Tau'ri) (Rite of Passage)

tec'ma-te

'Master'

Clearest use as title rather than greeting is in Family, when they're trying to figure out who would be coming through the gate using an SG-1 remote transmitter and code, and Teal'c says it must be 'tec'ma-te Bra'tac' -- if it's a greeting, he wouldn't use it there, since Bra'tac was nowhere in sight

see tek matte and tek ma te for later spelling and meaning

tek ma te

Presumably another variant on 'tec'ma-te'. Greeting, honorific, etc. (' Tek ma te, Master Bra'tac. It is an honor to serve in your service' -- Adal) (Evolution, part 1)

tek ma'tek

'friends well met' (sort of 'we come in peace' ) (The Warrior)

tek matte

Jaffa Language

Variant spelling of 'tec'ma-te' -- a greeting of respect (dammit, that is not how it started out -- it was a title, not a greeting) (The Warrior)

Tel kol

No direct translation.

Possibly something along the lines of 'we have a problem' -- a Jaffa says it to AR-Apophis (after greeting him as 'my lord') and then goes on to point at a screen possibly showing an incoming Asgard ship, immediately before the Asgard start beaming AR-Apophis and Jaffa out. (Point of View)

'Treena arik croonaka shol'va.'

No direct translation.

It's Cronus's initial reply to Teal'c's untranslated comment when they meet for the first time. (Fair Game)

trey lan tonik

No direct translation.

AR-Apophis says it to one of his Jaffa while questioning AR-Hammond, Jack, Daniel, and AR-Kawalsky, and the Jaffa promptly 'cocks' a zat and holds it to Hammond's head. (Point of View)

see 'trey lon tonik' -- possibly, this means something like a generic 'take care of this'

Trey lon tonok!:

No direct translation.

Yelled by the Jaffa in charge of the death camp, when he saw the ha'tak being built on a grav platform falling slowly to the ground. The other Jaffa took off running for the ship. (Orpheus)

see 'trey lan tonik' -- possibly, this means something like a generic 'take care of this'

V

Vash-mal -- vash-mal jel-na?

No direct translation.

Ra said this when presented with a box of offerings (jewelry and the like) -- the gist seems to be 'what is this?' or 'is that all?'. (Moebius part 1)

Y

Ya duru arik kek onac:

No direct translation.

K'tano/Imhotep to Teal'c, followed by 'I honor he who would kill his god'. (The Warrior)

Z

zatarc:

Victim of Goa'uld mind control, with true memories/programming suppressed under complex, complete false memories. The programming waits for a specific trigger, then takes over the zatarc commits suicide after his/her mission is carried out. (Divide and Conquer)

zat'nik'tel ('zat' or 'zat gun'):

Goa'uld weapon using a different form of energy from a staff weapon. 1 shot disables/stuns with pain, 2 kills, 3 disintegrates (Within the Serpent's Grasp)

zat'n'ktel:

Alternative spelling for a zat (Within the Serpent's Grasp)

zatnuketel:

Kree Jaffa

horrible, horrible variant spelling of zat'nik'tel (The Warrior)

Shal Kek Nem Ron

Stargate Goa Uld