Twenty Thousand Hertz

From Klingon to Dothraki: How sci-fi languages shape worlds

Dec 2, 2020
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ANECDOTE

Klingon Rock Star Emerges

  • Jenny Uselis became a Klingon rock star after performing in a Klingon Christmas Carol and singing pop songs in Klingon.
  • Her album and concerts in full Klingon costume gained a positive internet response and a devoted audience.
INSIGHT

Tolkien Reveals Language-Culture Link

  • J.R.R. Tolkien pioneered the idea that fictional languages reveal deep insights about the cultures that speak them.
  • Studying constructed languages like Elvish gives us new perspectives on how language reflects culture.
ANECDOTE

Klingon Language Creation Story

  • Mark Okrand invented Klingon language with a unique object-verb-subject syntax to make it feel alien.
  • Christopher Plummer's Shakespeare scene led to modifying Klingon grammar by turning a suffix into a verb for the phrase "to be or not to be."
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