The Klingon Language

Klingon is an artificial language created by Marc Okrand, a trained linguist, for the movie "Star Trek 3 - Search for Spock". Spoken Klingon had already been heard in the first movie (but this far it hadn't carried any meaning), so he based his language on these few lines. Klingon has then be heard in Star Trek 5 and especially 6. In Generations, I noticed but one scene with 'spoken Klingon', but although the person in question spoke clearly, it didn't sound at all like Klingon. Of course, to learn how to pronounce well takes much more time and practise than an actor has. It's often impossible to tell what a character is saying.

Klingon as a hobby

Well, I think it makes a marvelous hobby. It's interesting, synapse-twisting and may help you to get started with linguistics. My understanding of different aspects of verbal communication has increased vastly since I started learning Klingon. And you don't have to even LIKE Star Trek to enjoy the Klingon Language. Trek is always there in the background but you dont have to care about it if you don't wish.

Spoken Klingon in the Star Trek series

Unfortunately, the production crew of any of the series has never given Klingon the credit it deserves. Marc Okrand has never been hired for assistance with the series. Most of the time we hear Klingon spoken on screen, it's either

English in Klingon: The scriptwriter reaches his Dictionary and flaps through the vocabulary section. He has no idea on how to put the words together, so he takes the English sentence and replaces every word with a Klingon one if it exists; skips if not. He is in a hurry so he won't even stop to check if he picked the right words. If he needs a word for "take", he'll accidentally pick the one for "take action", but no one will ever notice, right? This results in very bad sentences, often with a reverse meaning because of the unusual word order of Klingon.
Completely Gibberish: The scriptwriter doesn't even reach for his Dictionary, but closes his eyes and randomly presses some keys on his keypad. There, that looks Klingon. Who would notice that it violates sentence structure, phonology and morphology?

This wouldn't normally cause us trouble, most of the speakers of Klingon not being great admirerers of Star Trek, as I told before. The Russian in the film "Hunt for the Red October" is not perfect either, but none of the students of Russian raised a hell about it. However, since the native speakers of Klingon exist only on screen, it would have been so great if they had found the time to do it right.

The puzzling thing is that Paramount is publishing a brand new CD-Rom directed by Jonathan Frakes (Riker), that will probably get more people interested in proper Klingon Language, but still they are not using it themselves. They gave the KLI a free licence (and that's something unheard of from Paramount) to pose as the official organization for Klingon studies, but never has any scriptwriter ever bothered to call them to get help with translations, even though KLI has offered it's charge-free assistance.

The Klingon Language Institute

The KLI is a non-profit organisation formed to promote and study the Klingon Language. KLI is a very conservative organisation, maintaining that the only source for additional information is Marc Okrand. KLI doesn't authorize new vocabulary or grammar. KLI doesn't improve or develope the language, though it pests Dr. Okrand to do so :). Notice that the KLI is not a Klingon or Star Trek fanclub. More info on their homepage.

What to buy when starting to learn Klingon?

The Klingon Dictionary: This is a must. Half of the book is a primer on grammar and the other half is a dictionary between English and Klingon, featuring some 1500 words, most of what we have.
ISBN 0-671-74559-X
Conversational Klingon: The first audio tape. It is laid out as a tourist's guide to Klingon Homeworld and is very entertaining as well as educative. Some extra vocabulary, lots of sentences to take apart.
ISBN 0-671-79739-5
Power Klingon: The second audio tape. It is laid out for a serious student of Klingon ways and customs. It tells how to gain and maintain respect, how to interact with Klingons and do business. Very entertaining, too. Again new vocabulary and sentences to take apart.
ISBN 0-671-87975-8

That's almost all there is! Well, there is a CD-Rom coming under the name "Klingon Warrior". Marc Okrand and the KLI have been involved with the making, so hopes are high. It is said to have, among other things, a speech recognition program in it that tells you if you mispronounced.

Also coming is a book by Marc Okrand under the name of "Book of Klingon Virtues". It shall be worth buying when it comes out. Expected in summer.

Sooner to be in print is KLI's translation of Hamlet. It is not to be mixed with Glen Proechel's Homlet:Prince of Kronos, which is, I think, already out. I haven't seen his work but I expect it not to be worth any money. He did the translation alone, in a couple of weeks. Even if he could speak proper Klingon, which he can't, I wouldn't expect much from such a hasty work. The KLI's translation of Hamlet, on the other hand, has been done by several experts of Klingon; proofread, edited and revised for more than a year. The book will be case bound, smyth sewn, quality hardback volume printed on acid-free paper. A preview of the work is electronically available.

Joining the KLI and buying the back issues of HolQeD is also recommendable. I learned the language to the extend I'm proud of by following the discussions on the tlhIngan-Hol mailinglist. I haven't posted often, and when I have it's because I have unique views on some matters - that hasn't exactly made me famous. To join the mailinglist, send a message to listserv@kli.org, with a blank subject line and subscribe tlhIngan-Hol [address] in the BODY of the message. The first thing you'll receive is a message from the listserver - DO NOT LOSE IT. It contains vital information on, for example, how to unsubscribe.

Most people lacking someone to talk Klingon to, the KLI also runs a Virtual Klingon Environment. It is not much of a game, just something with a bit more atmosphere than IRC.

What not to buy?

Check the name of the author. If it's Glen Proechel, I suggest you not buy it. Practically the guy has created his own dialect that others don't speak. He might give you bad advice and lead you astray. He also has the tendency of using other peoples' artwork in his work without their permission, which should not be encouraged.

The man has also in many ways damaged the public view of the Klingon Language movement. Partly due to him, we are commonly associated with die-hard tehno-babbling trekkies in frenzy*. This is, as I've tried to convey, not the case.

*) No offence intended for fans of Star Trek.