A Language Grows

The Story of Klingon

Course 1 · Chapter 5 · A Language Grows

Most invented languages are finished by their makers and then left alone. Klingon was different: Marc Okrand kept adding to it for decades, and the community had to decide which additions were really "Klingon". This chapter follows the growth and the rule that was adopted to manage it.

Okrand Keeps Adding

YearWorkWhat it added
1985The Klingon DictionaryThe base language (Chapter 3)
1992Dictionary addendum; Conversational Klingon (audio course)New grammar and about 200 words from the films and The Next Generation
1993Power Klingon (audio course)Spoken practice
1996The Klingon Way157 proverbs and sayings with explanations
1997Klingon for the Galactic TravelerA companion phrasebook

The Klingon Way

This book (Pocket Books, with an audiobook read by Michael Dorn and Roxann Dawson) collects 157 proverbs and locutions, each with the Klingon text, an English "Federation Standard" translation and a short story about how it is used in Klingon culture. Some entries also explain grammar or word use. Wikipedia describes it as the second major expansion of the language after the dictionary. It is also the first place where the language grows by showing culture rather than just rules.

A Date Wobble Wikipedia gives 1996 for The Klingon Way in its main text but cites "(1995)" in one place. I used 1996 and left the question open.

The Problem of "What Counts"

As more words appeared, an argument grew: if a fan invents a new Klingon word, is it Klingon? The community settled on a clear rule, and the Klingon Language Institute applies it: only the words and grammatical forms introduced by Okrand count as canonical. Everything else, however well made, is a proposal.

Canon

Words and grammar that come from Okrand himself, in books, tapes, interviews, qep'a' sessions or the screen. The KLI and most Klingonists treat these as the language.

Neologism

A word a fan coins. Wikipedia notes that "it is often unclear as to what level of neologism is permissible", so even the rule leaves a grey area.

The Word List

The KLI kept a list of new vocabulary until 2005. Lieven Litaer then maintained it until the KLI's website was renewed in 2015, and published "New canonical Klingon words" on 20 August 2013.

Who Owns It?

CBS Studios owns the copyright on the official dictionary and other canonical descriptions of the language. So "canon" is a community rule, but the text behind it belongs to a studio.

A More Everyday Language

The early vocabulary leaned heavily on Star Trek themes: ships, weapons, battle. Wikipedia says this changed after the 2011 EuroTalk course and Okrand's contact with learners, when everyday words were added. A telling example is the word for a "bridge" over water, QI, which was unknown until August 2012. The language kept growing in the 2010s, long after its first screen use.

The Pattern Klingon grew in answer to questions. A fan asks for a word at the qep'a' (Chapter 4), Okrand supplies it, the KLI records it and the community begins to use it. Because Okrand stayed involved, the language never had to be reconstructed from fragments; it could simply be asked.

Stranger Corners

  • Case matters. In the Latin spelling, upper- and lower-case letters stand for different sounds. Wikipedia says the only minimal pair is Q/q, and that software problems with upper- and lower-case letters and the apostrophe delayed promotion of Duolingo's course from beta.
  • Exceptions to the stress rules. The stress rules for nouns and verbs have exceptions, the article says: "some words which should fall under the rules above, but do not".
  • Other "Klingons". A different language called Klingonaase appeared in John M. Ford's 1984 novel The Final Reflection, and the 1984 novelisation of Star Trek III hints at two non-canonical dialects, Rumaiy and Kumburan.
Not Yet Verified The Wikipedia article does not describe any particular argument between Okrand and fans beyond the canon debate and the Duolingo issues, so this chapter does not invent one. I have not checked what the contents of Conversational Klingon, Power Klingon or Klingon for the Galactic Traveler actually add. They are listed from Okrand's biography, not from the books. The KLI's current canon policy was not on the pages I read.

Sources for This Chapter

  • Wikipedia, "The Klingon Way", "Klingon language", "Marc Okrand" and "The Klingon Dictionary".

Hands-On Exercises

Exercise 1

Make a table of Okrand's books and audio courses from 1985 to 1997, with the year and one thing each added.

→ Solution
Exercise 2

State the canon rule in one sentence, then give one case where the rule leaves a grey area.

→ Solution
Exercise 3

Explain why Klingon could grow by "asking" in a way that most invented languages cannot, and what the word QI shows about its later growth.

→ Solution

Quick Reference

  • Books and tapes: dictionary (1985), addendum and Conversational Klingon (1992), Power Klingon (1993), The Klingon Way (1996), Klingon for the Galactic Traveler (1997).
  • Canon: only Okrand's words and forms count, for the KLI and most Klingonists.
  • Word list: KLI to 2005, then Litaer to 2015.
  • Later growth: everyday words after 2011; QI "bridge" known from August 2012.
Coming Next The Story of Klingon, Chapter 6 listens to the language: its sounds, and how people actually speak it.