By:Donetta Gates
In the article Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple? by, Glen Proechel the made up language of Klingon is discussed. The Klingon language is a made-for- TV-and movies language that is spoken by the science- warrior race from the Klingon Empire of Star Trek fame. The language was introduced to people in 1984 on the television show Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. A dictionary called the Klingon Dictionary was written by Dr. Mark Okrand. In 1992 the Klingon Language Institute was formed and now have around 600 members worldwide. A fan club was also created called the Klingon Assault Group and it had 2500 members. One summer Proechel learned the language and decided to run a Klingon Language Camp in Red Lake Falls, MN for two weeks. From around the world journalists from TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines wanted the covering rights of his camp. The Interstellar Language School, Inc., decided to translate the bible into Klingon, organize Klingon courses throughout Minnesota, and conducts church services and weddings in Klingon. They hosted the Second Annual Klingon Language Camp in Red Lake Falls, MN.
Proechel raises the question that if the producers at Paramount studios have chosen to use Esperanto or even Volapuk instead of Klingon, would it have as much popularity or be dis-approved. It was never intended for competition to happen between the two languages, but it seemed to be appearing. Esperanto was created to facilitate human communication by discovering the most universal elements in the most widely spoken European languages and regularizing them into an easily acquired interlanguage. Klingon was instead created essentially for the exact opposite reason. It was not meant to facilitate communications, but to entertain.
Dr. Okrand base up the language for the alien race Klingons. To make sure that no English was included he deliberately selected difficult and abstruse sounds, not common ones. He created a grammar that resembles none of the commonly known international languages. An example of Klingon translated into English is "phaser gun-his-using-while-Romulan-kill-Lieutenant Worf. In English the sentence would be "Lieutenant Work killed the Romulan with his phaser gun.
The Esperanto language has a complex array of vowel endings which indicates the part of speech while Klingon has none. Most Klingon words are no-nonsense one syllable constructs. There is a rule in the Klingon language that no word can begin with a vowel. However, many words begin and end with something called a glottal stop-- that catch in the throat that Cockney speakers make instead of a "t" in words like "butter". Dr. Zamenhof who is the creator of Esperanto tried hard to avoid homonyms in his language but failed. Klingon on the other hand has none.
By: Kendra Romani
The article “Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple,” is by Glen Proechel and was published in 1994. Klingon is an artificial language created for the movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, which debuted in 1984. Klingon was spoken by the science fiction warrior race from the Klingon Empire of the Star Trek fame. The Klingon language is so popular with diehard fans that there are Klingon Dictionaries, Institutes, and fan clubs. People all over the world are intrigued by the strange language and culture of the Klingon Empire, and a global following of fans and media admire this fictional, yet entertaining language. Proechel started studying the language and decided to start a Klingon Language Camp in Red Lake Falls, MN, it was an instant hit. Star Trek fans from all over the state came to the two week camp, and showed support for their love of Star Trek and the Klingon. Fans love it so much, that they are actually translating textbooks, the bible, giving church services and weddings in Klingon. Proechel couldn’t help but wonder if Paramount would’ve chosen Esperanto, a universal language, would it too be as overwhelmingly popular as Klingon. This brought up a good point; one could only assume that made-up languages would share some similarities, but how many?
Proechel says that Esperanto was created to facilitate communications by incorporating elements from most widely used languages, and combining them into a universal language. Esperanto was created to bridge the gap between cultures and communications. However, can one say the same for Klingon? Klingon was created to not facilitate communication, but to entertain. Dr. Okrand, the writer of the Klingon Dictionary, said that the premise of the Klingon language was to be of an alien race that was unlike any human spoken language. He purposely chose difficult and uncommon sounds, in attempt to stray away from commonly spoken languages. Klingon syntax is the exact opposite of English. An example, "Lieutenant Worf killed the Romulan with his phaser gun," in Klingon the word order would be phaser gun-his-using-while-Romulan-kill-Lieutenant Worf. Esperanto uses cognates and recognition, whereas Klingon uses very little cognates and can seem unrecognizable. The few words that are considered to be derived from terrestrial languages are “human and tera.” Tera is from the Latin terra, meaning “planet earth.” Klingon is filled with intentional humor, cheeky definitions, and the all too often pun. In Klingon the word for “beautiful” is ‘IH (pronounced like “ick”), “its heavy” is ‘UGH, and attached to the end of words is the suffix “ha,” as though one was making a joke. Esperanto uses vowel endings which clearly indicate the parts of speech and word order. However, Klingon uses none of this, only short one syllable words. There is a rule in the Klingon language that no word can begin with a vowel. Also, in Klingon many words start with a glottal stop, associated with an apostrophe for most words. Differently, then that of the Esperanto, Klingon utilizes a lot of homonym constructs. The word order for the Klingon is object-verb-subject.
Despite, their differences Klingon and Esperanto do share many things in common. Both languages have 2,000 plus words which can be expanded by the use of prefixes and suffixes. Although, there are fewer places to practice Klingon than Esperanto, both are very rare and uncommon. Most Klingonist have only one thing to say about Klingon… “it’s fun!”
The article “Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple,” is by Glen Proechel and was published in 1994. Klingon is an artificial language created for the movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, which debuted in 1984. Klingon was spoken by the science fiction warrior race from the Klingon Empire of the Star Trek fame. The Klingon language is so popular with diehard fans that there are Klingon Dictionaries, Institutes, and fan clubs. People all over the world are intrigued by the strange language and culture of the Klingon Empire, and a global following of fans and media admire this fictional, yet entertaining language. Proechel started studying the language and decided to start a Klingon Language Camp in Red Lake Falls, MN, it was an instant hit. Star Trek fans from all over the state came to the two week camp, and showed support for their love of Star Trek and the Klingon. Fans love it so much, that they are actually translating textbooks, the bible, giving church services and weddings in Klingon. Proechel couldn’t help but wonder if Paramount would’ve chosen Esperanto, a universal language, would it too be as overwhelmingly popular as Klingon. This brought up a good point; one could only assume that made-up languages would share some similarities, but how many?
ReplyDeleteProechel says that Esperanto was created to facilitate communications by incorporating elements from most widely used languages, and combining them into a universal language. Esperanto was created to bridge the gap between cultures and communications. However, can one say the same for Klingon? Klingon was created to not facilitate communication, but to entertain. Dr. Okrand, the writer of the Klingon Dictionary, said that the premise of the Klingon language was to be of an alien race that was unlike any human spoken language. He purposely chose difficult and uncommon sounds, in attempt to stray away from commonly spoken languages. Klingon syntax is the exact opposite of English. An example, "Lieutenant Worf killed the Romulan with his phaser gun," in Klingon the word order would be phaser gun-his-using-while-Romulan-kill-Lieutenant Worf. Esperanto uses cognates and recognition, whereas Klingon uses very little cognates and can seem unrecognizable. The few words that are considered to be derived from terrestrial languages are “human and tera.” Tera is from the Latin terra, meaning “planet earth.” Klingon is filled with intentional humor, cheeky definitions, and the all too often pun. In Klingon the word for “beautiful” is ‘IH (pronounced like “ick”), “its heavy” is ‘UGH, and attached to the end of words is the suffix “ha,” as though one was making a joke. Esperanto uses vowel endings which clearly indicate the parts of speech and word order. However, Klingon uses none of this, only short one syllable words. There is a rule in the Klingon language that no word can begin with a vowel. Also, in Klingon many words start with a glottal stop, associated with an apostrophe for most words. Differently, then that of the Esperanto, Klingon utilizes a lot of homonym constructs. The word order for the Klingon is object-verb-subject.
Despite, their differences Klingon and Esperanto do share many things in common. Both languages have 2,000 plus words which can be expanded by the use of prefixes and suffixes. Although, there are fewer places to practice Klingon than Esperanto, both are very rare and uncommon. Most Klingonist have only one thing to say about Klingon… “it’s fun!”
This was a great summary of the article. It talks about the languages used in Star Trek and other movies of that status. I always wondered how did these languages came about. This article really broke the history of coming up with these languages. I find it extremely interesting and i would love to read more information about this topic. at first I thought it was kind of weird, but now since i have a little understanding I find it fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThe article "Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple," by Glen Proechel was very fascinating. It basically explains how the Klingon language came about and why. This languages was created for the use of the Star Trek movie Most would say it was created to facilitate communications but it was strictly created for entertainment purposes. This artificial language is composed of difficult and uncommon sounds to make the language more exciting. The ting that I found the most interesting about this artificial language was how easily this language came about, but has such a large fan base. There is even a dictionary created for this language. This just goes to show that even though it is very uncommon, it still fascinates some people.
ReplyDeleteThis article brings up points about the "Star Trek" language of Klingon. Even though this language was merely a made up for some people of another planet to speak, Okrand's creation has a following of speakers in the modern world. It is surprising to find out that there are churches, bible translations, and dictionaries- among other things- devoted to this language. I agree with the author that the director or "Star Trek" should try and incorporate Esperanto into the movies. With as many speakers of this language already in existence, it could have a tremendous effect on the international language.
ReplyDeleteI think that the summary was very well written. Also, I do not really care for the "Star Trek" language of Klingon. Since most people do not care for "sci-fi" movies how can you be sure everyone would learn it. It is almost unbelievable that Klingon even has its own dictionary, institutes, and fan clubs. People are even translating the bible into Klingon, they may be getting out of hand. Incorporating Esperanto into the movies may be more logical if you wanted to bridge a gap between many languages and cultures, but that was not the purpose of the movie. It is interesting to know that each of these languages have 2,000 plus words. Yet, I had never heard of Klingon until now.
ReplyDeleteThis was kind of a strange article but it also is pretty interesting. I was unaware of the fact the people are super into the Klingon language because they're Star Wars fans. I also think it's pretty funny that people actually translate important documents such as the bible and wedding services in this language. This gives you a really good idea of how valued entertainment is in our culture. Esperanto had trouble becoming an international language but this fake language became a hit--that tells you something! I don't think Klingon and Esperanto are similar, though, because they both were created for different intentions. Klingon was created to entertain whereas Esperanto was created to serve as an international language to ass some consistency to language around the world.
ReplyDeleteIt is the first time I have ever heard the Klingon language which came out for a science fiction movie at first. Then, it has its fans in the modern world. It has an interesting rule that it cannot be started by a vowel. On the other hand, I like the idea of Esperanto which is a international language for people who speak different languages. Undoubtedly, it would be great that different national people can communicate with each other well through a common language. By the way, both of the students have done great and clear summaries as well.
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ReplyDeleteWell I have to say, I had no idea people took klingon language to that extreme. I don't think any cult movie has come close to becoming this intense where a subculture not only has it's own dialect but entire language. Then to go as far as to have an entire dictionary and churches dedicated to what Orkand developed. The only personal experience I have with ever hearing this language is that short bit in a scene from Garden State ( for those of you who have seen the movie you know what I'm referencing). And while this subculture can be admired for its intensity and the extent of its progress at separating itself from society, I think eventually it will die out. And then we will have a new " Star Trek". Who knows, maybe twilight's 17th movie will include its own language as well and people will start staying inside all day and only come out till they are dressed head to toe in glitter. Or even more terrifying of an idea than that...what if jersey shore became the new star treck. Maybe that would solve the problem though. Maybe people would realize it has goon too far. and you know calling someone a grenade ( not only is incorrect) but it makes me look like an idiot. I think its already happening. To sum it up, pop culture always delivers interesting subculture, this is just an extreme version.
ReplyDeleteI thought that both students did a good job on summarizing the text. I found this article to be interesting, because I did not know that people take Klingon language so seriously. I think that this article raises the question of what really does it take for something to constitute a legitimate language. In both cases of the languages above, I think that they both should not be considered a real language.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting to find out that people took Klingon language this seriously. I always knew that cult films such as Star Trek and Star Wars attracted plenty of attention from people all over the world to create conventions where people dress up as their favorite characters. I just didn't know that there were camps, a dictionary, churches, and courses dedicated to the made up language. It really makes me think about the fine line between factious and real.
ReplyDeleteBoth students did a tremendous job summarizing the text which talked about klingon language. I remember the first, I have ever heard the Klingon language which came out for a science fiction movie. Then, it has its fans in the modern world. It has an interesting rule that it cannot be started by a vowel. Contrary , I like the motion of Esperanto which is a international language for people who speak different languages. It would be great that different national people can communicate with each other through a common language.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely one of the strangest articles I have read yet for this class. It was still very interesting to read, but hard to relate to it. I had no idea about the Klingon language before reading this article. The fact that they are Star Wars fans made it funny to me. One thing that really stood out to me was the fact important documents like wedding services in that language. I agreed with the author when he said the director of “Star Trek” should try and incorporate Esperanto in movies. This could potentially close the gap between culture and language. It could also have an effect on the international language because of how many speakers are already around. I have never heard anyone speak this language myself, but I think it would be really cool to experience.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Klingon language and the article did not interest me at all. But apparently this language is used in Star Trek, which I have never seen an episode for the simple fact that it looked weird and boring. This type of language is used for entertainment purposes for example, movies. I had no idea Star Trek or Star Wars used a Klingon to communicate with each other let alone it even existed. But this just goes to show how language has evolved and how language is used in many different ways. It is interesting to find out about this but at the same time it is also confusing to keep reading about different languages because it is hard to keep up with. But overall, it was a decent article to read about.
ReplyDeleteThis article was pretty interesting and was about Klingon Language, the language used in Star Trek. I was aware that people did actually speak the language but I was interested to find out the extend of how serious people were about it. I was not aware that there was a camp where people are taught the language. The article then goes on to compare it to Esperanto language. I think that is a good comparison because they are both languages that are not widely used, that pull from other languages. However, I do not think that it is right to compare a made-up language made for a movie to a language that was made to help make an international language.
ReplyDeleteThe article “Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple,” is written by Glen Proechel. Klingon is fictional language used in the Star Trek series by the race of Vulcan's made famous by Captain Spock. I was quite aware that some people actually took the time to learn the fictional language. I however was unaware that someone took the time to analyze this fictional language. Esperanto is intended to help translate commonly used languages to promote communication. I fail to see how translating a fictional language will benefit anyone.
ReplyDeleteThe article “ Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple?” by, Glen Proechel was very interesting as it explained the process of the Klingon language. This article explained how the Klingon language arose and how the language is used amongst the people. It was quite interesting to learn that this language was pacifically made for the Star Trek movie. It was an language strictly for entertainment. The klingon language is an imaginary language which attracts a lot of fan base and even has its own dictionary as well as churches and bible translations. It is very interesting that this made up language brings upon so much publicity. In my opinion I feel it is quite disrespectful for the language of Klingon to be translated into the bible. If this is a pretend language what is the purpose of converting it into all these different substances. In conclusion the klingon language is very interesting when it pertains movies, but as far as real life it doesn’t need to be involved.
ReplyDeleteI think my head is spinning, to think people take this language that seriously. The point that they have rules like what words can and cannot begin with. MAN that takes some dedication. The fact that, that many people take this seriously very much surprises me. But the writer brings up a good point,would it have been as widley accepted is they would have used an already real language. My bet is that a lot of people would have learned to speak it due to it being on the show.
ReplyDeleteI thought the summaries were well written. At first I didn't think I'd like this article at all. However, once I started it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought. I do find it a little different that a made up language from a TV show actually has followers who speak the language. To me a language like this is pointless. Much like Pig-Latin.
ReplyDeleteI 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 wonder, though, how much better off these people would be if they dedicated their time to learning a REAL language instead of a fake one. Interesting side note: William Shatner once starred in a movie that was filmed entirely in Esperanto. I think it was called "Kingdom of the Spider," but I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteThe article “Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple?” by Glen Proechel was a very intriguing article. This article went over the Klingon language and described how it came about. This is a language that was developed in a show called Star Trek. It is an imaginary language that has followers that speak it, along with a dictionary that translates its words into English. Esperanto is used to translate other languages, it is interesting that people have chose to use Esperanto to try and translate Klingon. It is good that Esperato works so well that it can help translate a made up language.
ReplyDeleteGreat Article. I thought it was so informative reading this. The author discussed how languages can be established and built in society. this was very interesting because it was great to see how languages can also be interpreted. The author also referred back to the reading Esperanto, which I also thought was a very intriguing article. This discusses how two languages though different can some how connect. the summaries were also good as well.
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. The fact that it was able to get out and be used by us does not seem as crazy as the article makes it out to be. Popular culture in science fictional stories results in a lot of obsessive people. Klingon should not be compared Esperanto, a language created to unite; whereas, Klingon was merely created to separate a race of beings from us. The only way I see them as comparative is through language in generality.
ReplyDeleteIn the article Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple? Wrote by, Glen Proechel, the made up language of Klingon is discussed. The Klingon language is a made-for- TV-and movies language that is spoken by the science- warrior race from the Klingon Empire of Star Trek fame.The Esperanto language has a complex array of vowel endings which indicates the part of speech while Klingon has none. . Introduced to people in 1984 on the television show Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, it was instantly a hit.
ReplyDeleteThe article titled, Klingon and Esperanto: The Odd Couple? Written by, Glen Proechel,talks about the language of Klingon. This article was sort of weird, but interesting as well. The article brings up points about the "Star Trek" language of Klingon. This language was actually made up for the movie, but people actually speak it.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered about the languages used in movies such as Star Trek and others; how they were invented, if they were just gibberish, or if somehow they were real. This article was really interesting in that aspect and aided me in gaining knowledge on the topic. This article made me want to learn more and I look forward to research some of my own information on it in the future. The summary done for this article was great, to the point and detailed, great job.
ReplyDelete