ENGL300-1: Jacob Collins for 5 pts. extra credit
ENGL300-2: Hannah McArthy
The comments by the whole class can be made as soon as this post appears; you don't need to wait for the summaries to be written!
Read about the history, the alphabet, and the phonetics of the Klingon language on the website of the Klingon Language Institute. Summarize its history and development, and state what you think about such an invented language. If you can write Klingon, write a sentence with translation ;-)
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by: Hannah McArthy
The information regarding the Klingon language was all found on The Klingon Language Institute’s website. Dr. Mark Okrand, a trained linguist, created the Klingon language for Paramount Studios to be used in certain Star Trek movies. The Klingon language contains its own grammar, usage, and vocabulary. Dr. Okrand created the entire language, instead of only a few words, to sound alien. These words and phrases could sometimes be heard in Star Trek, and it became one of the fastest growing languages. Okrand’s concept of Klingon language was to create something that sounded unusual, while Paramount Pictures wanted something harsh. Klingon was soon born. Klingon contains combined sounds not usually heard in other languages. Dr. Okrand created single sounds in Klingon, sometimes to be represented by multiple letters of English. An example is the phrase “ng” which is a single sound in Klingon and is considered a single letter. Mark Okrand also created his own orthography when he created the language. The written language also has some different rules than English, such as capital and lower case letters being shown differently. Having a capital letter means that the letter sounds different. This means the first word of a sentence is not capitalized like in English, instead, the appropriate sound is capitalized. Klingon is meant to be spoken forcefully with the intent of making the conversing partner wet, with saliva. Klingon does not contain the letter g, q and Q are different sounds, and the apostrophe is considered its own letter. When it comes to vowels, the Klingon language contains the consonant “b” on each side. An example is the vowel “a” which will be “bab” in Klingon. Consonants are seen at the end of syllables, between syllables, and before syllables. An example shown on the Klingon Language Institute website is the vowel “a” and the consonant “ch” will be written “chachacha.” Mark Okrand created the Klingon language, while writing multiple books regarding the language, and inspired an institution called the Klingon Language Institute. The institute was created in 1992, to bring individuals together that have the same interest in the Klingon language. The Klingon Language Institute’s main channel of information is through its own journal that is published quarterly called HolQeD.
I found this website to be extremely interesting. From watching Star Trek I have heard the different language, but I never asked where it came from. I assumed it was random words and phrases created for the purpose of Star Trek. I found it fascinating though that Dr. Mark Okrand went beyond a few words into a full blown language that contains rules. Another thing I found interesting is that he veered away from making it have similarities from known languages, which added to the extra-terrestrial effect.
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I never knew that movie studios created their own languages for fictional creatures and communities. I had heard that the creators of Avatar also did a similar thing when they created the language for the creatures in the movie. I always thought that the actors and actresses just had to make up sounds to fill in those parts of the movies. I had no idea that there were classes and lessons.
ReplyDeleteI can't say that I've ever watched Star Trek, but I find it fascinating that a language was made solely for the show. It sounds like Dr. Okrand went above and beyond to make the characters on Star Trek sound genuine. Just as it can be hard to learn any language, I'm sure the actors on Star Trek had some difficulty learning this new language, because it sounds complicated. However, the hard work paid off if the show was aired as long as it was.
ReplyDeleteI never knew about the complexities of the Klingon language until I met a friend in the seminary who spoke Spanish, English, French, could read Latin and Ancient Greek, and also joked that he could speak Klingon. At least, I thought he was joking, but then he explained that it was a real language. I was really concerned for my friend's social life at this point in the conversation, but he reassured me that he wasn't interested in Star Trek; just languages.
ReplyDeleteThe article discussing the Klingon language was very informative. Its popularity in our planet blew up and can now be used to understand things through a different tongue. I think it's pretty funny that someone went through all the trouble of creating a complete Klingon language with its own set of rules, but it seems to have taken hold with fans of the show. i have always been a Star Wars person not Star Trek, but I do understand the love that these fans show.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen Star Trek, so I have never heard of the Klingon language. I do find it very interesting that one man made an entire new language including sounds, words, and rules just for a movie, and it caught on to fans. I would like to know how many people use this language on a daily basis. After reading this article I want to see Star Trek so that I can hear this new language.
ReplyDeleteThe klingon language was interesting to me because I did not know that it was created by someone in the field of linguistics. I had always thought that the klingon language was a made up as they went in star trek. What also surprised me was that there are many other nations that are part of the klingon speaking community or want to be apart of.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that one person decided to create a completely different language called klingon language, with new sounds and rules to follow all to create a movie. I believe this shows true dedication to create this movie. I have never seen Star Trek or Star Wars, but I understand the attraction they can have on individuals. I think making up a language would be fun, but difficult. I remember when I was younger my friends and I use to create our own language, but we worked in a group and used the basic rules and sounds from English. The only difference we would ever change is the sound we put in front of the words and put the first letter at the end of the word. I could not imagine doing that all on my own and creating new sounds and rules. I found this to be a very interesting article and it makes me want to create my own language again.
ReplyDeleteI had heard of Klingon language before this article, and I have always found it interesting. It is difficult to believe that someone went through all the trouble to create an entire language for the show. I wonder if the stars on the show even know the language? As kids, my friends and I would have loved to have spoken fluent Klingon; imagine the hilarious possibilities.
ReplyDeleteI found this article was very informative. I did not know that a person from the field of linguistics. I always thought that fans made up alien languages and some of them get put into movies. I tried making a language, it was very hard and only had a few words.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated with this article because I never knew the alien languages in movies are actually really created languages. This article remained me of "The Lord of The Rings Trilogy", because the elves in the movie speak elvish. I often wondered where elvish originated from. When I read about the klingon language it reminded me of The elvish language.I would like to learn more
ReplyDeleteI’m not a big fan of Star Trek, so I’ve never really thought about Klingon, but this article makes it sound interesting. Creating an entire language for a Hollywood production is very impressive and is a great way to apply the study of linguistics. The fact that Dr. Okrand could make a language that sounded “alien” is very intriguing and was probably a lot of work for him. Once you know the components of language in general (syntax, morphology, etc.), there are really no limits to the types of languages you could create; the real test for the success of a language is how it is used. We saw this principal in some of the past blogs like, Esperanto. Klingon is obviously successful in that it is used in Star Trek and is taught at the Klingon language institute (I would like to know what it’s like to be a student there)!
ReplyDeleteI think having a complete unique language specifically for a TV show is handy. I think it is a great way to promote fans to truly understand the show and to connect on a deeper level to it. Language is an important aspect of a culture and if you are going to create a new culture, creating the language for the culture should go hand in hand.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of the Klingon language prior to reading this article.Creating an entire language for a Hollywood production is very impressive and is a great way to apply the study of linguistics. I believe that this application of linguistics opened up the portal for many of the different types "Movie lanaguages"
ReplyDeleteI find it remarkable that a production and distribution company would invest time into creating a language for the sole purpose of entertainment; I find it even more surprising that this once non-established language has emerged to be recognized as a language in itself. Klingon has arrived to not only the sci-fi community as ways of conversing discretely; but a way to communicate nationally. Klingon has been recognized as the fastest emerging new language across many lands, surprisingly. Language is the ability to communicate thoroughly between one another and provide details in which would not be understood without communicating. Which is why Klingon is so amazing.
ReplyDeletePrior to reading this article I had heard of Klingon. I have always found it very interesting when people create new languages for books or movies. I have often pondered about how languages like Klingon, or Elvish from Lord of the Rings, were created. No matter how long I think about it, it still baffles me. One conclusion I have had is that whoever can create a completely new and unique language must know a lot about linguistics. If someone asked me to make up a new, and functioning language, I do not think I would be capable. I sincerely admire anyone who can.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this article, I had never heard of the Klingon language, and constantly seemed to mix up Star Trek and Star Wars. I obviously haven't seen either of the two. The fact that sounds and inaudible words from a movie could be made into a language seems interesting to me. I find the rules and technique of Klingon hard to follow, but I guess that is as similar as any person glancing at an unfamiliar language. I may have not seen Star Wars or Star Trek, but after reading this information about Klingon, I wonder why that Elf language from Lord of the Rings isn't a recognized language by now.
ReplyDeleteKlingon language is very fascinating. Before reading this article, I’d never been introduced to the concept of creating new languages for Hollywood productions. Creating an entire language for a Hollywood production is very impressive and is a great way to apply the study of linguistics. Using movie language in everyday life is highly inappropriate. There are people that speak like they are on Star Trek every day. I think they need to learn to separate reality from fantasy. It’s sort of like slang with Klingon language. There is a time and a place for it. Maybe languages like Klingon and slang can evolve and become more commonplace one day. Right now it is important to use Standard English to ensure that the majority of the people listening to you can comprehend you.
ReplyDeleteI have never watched "Star Trek", but was aware of the klingon language they use. It is interesting to know the origin of that language and how they came around to use it. Surprisingly this language is more complex than I would have imagined. I find it crazy that there are a lot of people that have time to learn this language because of their love for Star Trek.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of the Klingon language before, but had no idea how complex it was or that it was a real language for that fact. I really liked that a person in the field of linguistics had a hand in this. I found this article to be very interesting and informative.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting because it talked about how they created their own languags for fictional characters in movies and stuff. I never they called it this type of language though. This was very informative because people learned something new thanks to the person that made this article.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be most interesting. Growing up with parents who were devout watchers of the Star Trek reruns, I was well aware of the Klingon language. My mother had told me that it was created for the show itself so reading this was nothing new to me. Though I do find it interesting on how the words are formed in the different spellings. I have never seen it typed out before, I have only ever heard it spoken in the series that I have watched alongside with my parents.
ReplyDeleteI did not expect or ever think the language spoken in Star Trek was an actual language. I hardly ever watched Star Trek but with the few times i thought the words were made up. I find it amazing that they created a language just for a t.v show.This shows that our culture really values language. The producers actually cared enough for the viewers and the show to make the Klingon language. I wonder if the actors actually knew what they were saying.
ReplyDeleteThis article is hilarious! If you want proof you have too much time on your hands, learn an artificial language that even the actors from the TV show can't speak. I cannot understand why anyone would do this. I've watched star trek one time. The TV show is even more boring and cheesy the Star Wars which Star Trek stole the idea. I could not even watch the whole episode. The idea of learning a language from a tv show/movie blows my mind.
ReplyDeleteKlingon language real? No way! I don't remember too much about the show, but i can remember sitting on my living room floor and watching some of the episodes with my dad and brother. I honestly only rmember the dude with spiky ears, and the guy with the weird sunglass-thingies! When I read this article I couldn't believe it! Our society cared that much about language to create a whole new form just for a T.V. show. It seems a little extreme.
ReplyDeleteThe Klingon Language was created by Mark Okrand. Okrand is a trained Linguist and created this language for paramount for the Star Trek movies. He created it to have its own grammar, usage, and vocabulary. It is a complete language and sounds unusual and alien like compared to other languages. In this language capital letters would mean that the word is pronounced differently and the apostrophe is its own letter.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how unique this language is and it made me appreciate the language of Star Trek even more.
Because I am not an avid watcher of ‘Star Trek,’ I never really knew about Klingon; however, I am a fan of both the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and the ‘Harry Potter’ series. Although Elvish and Parseltongue were not created entirely for Hollywood productions (because the actual pronunciation and delivery of the languages is brought to film), the languages are very impressive and are a great way to understand the study of linguistics further. It is interesting how Dr. Okrand could construct a language that sounded “alien,” because of the amount of work that it probably took for him to create it. Once one is aware of how the general components of language (i.e. semantics, etymology, syntax, morphology, etc.) work, then it most likely becomes easier to construct a language, because how a language is spoken is what is most essential to its foundation. What I thought was most interesting is how there are actual Klingon language institutes, because while watching the end credits for ‘Harry Potter,’ I discovered that the films actually have their own Parseltongue linguist.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of Star Trek, but I knew that they used a different language on the show. However, I had no idea that it was a real language created specifically for the show. I think it is very interesting that they took the time for such detail. I do think it is a little extreme to create a whole new language just for a television show, but it is still interesting nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI find the creation of language for fiction is fascinating. It is amazing how they create language for movies and t.v. It is the same concept as an author creating their own language for a fictional work of literature. It is wonderful and a natural and realistic thing. It is natural in our realistic society for different groups of people to create their own language so it is natural for the characters in film and in literature to have their own language.
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