The language of the warrior goblins will be explained at the Air & Space museum. Here's the announcement:
The Dark Side of the National Air and Space Museum
With special guest, Marc Okrand, creator of the Klingon language
Thursday, October 26
6:00 PM
Throughout the National Mall building
Admission: Free, reservations required
email: whatsup@si.edu
phone: 202-633-1000
web: http://www.nasm.si.edu/
When darkness falls on the National Air and Space Museum on October 26, the focus of attention becomes the unusual, bizarre and supernatural.
Join us to hear some strange aviation and space tales not usually presented in the light of day such as:
The frightening hallucinations that plagued astronomer George Ellery Hale; the obsessions of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes; the bizarre stories about Amelia Earhart's disappearance; the "face" on Mars; the Great Moon Hoax of 1835; the WWI German ace, Baron von Richthofen and the “Red Baron” mystique; and amateur astronomer Percival Lowell, whose theories convinced millions that Martians existed.
After hearing an array of amazing stories, visitors can gather at 7:30 p.m. in the theater for “Klingon 101,” with Marc Okrand, creator of the Star Trek language. Okrand will discuss the development and uses of the Klingon language. The language has proven so popular that several Shakespearian plays have been translated into it and dedicated Star Trek fans still converse in it. [editor: my underlining]
After the presentation, Okrand will be available to autograph one of his several books: The Klingon Dictionary, Klingon for the Galactic Traveler, and Star Trek Power Klingon.
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So, is the language popular enough that somebody will develop voice recognition software?
In the meantime, here are some phrases to build your Klingon vocabulary:
Klingon / English
HIjol / Beam me aboard!
HIghoS / Come here!
bInep / You lie.
tlhIngan jIH / I am a Klingon.
cha yIbaH qara'DI' / Fire the torpedoes!
quSDaQ ba'lu"a' / Is this seat taken?
(from http://www.kasper-online.de/en/docs/startrek/klingon.htm)
Posted by raacluse at October 17, 2006 8:03 PMThe sad thing is, I actually know most of the notation marks for Klingon and can therefore pronounce most of these with some degree of accuracy.
It will always amaze me that Klingon is a more popular language than some 'real-life' languages that are on the verge of extinction today, such as Eyak.
There's a nifty list of endangered languages over at:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/elr/nextinct.html
And on a totally ridiculous note from 2003:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/05/10/offbeat.klingon.interpreter/
Qapla!
Posted by: Bryan Thao Worra at November 1, 2006 6:59 PMSpeaking of dead languages, I remember talking to science fiction / fantasy writer, Somtow Sucharitkul (a.k.a., SP Somtow) when he used to live on the East Coast. I think he wrote an opera in Bronze age Greek! (Or at least an aria or two.)
He's returned to his native counry, Thailand. But I don't know if the Thais are ready, yet, to hear something like that.
Posted by: raacluse at November 4, 2006 10:33 AM