tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Feb 14 20:19:02 1994

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Accents et al. was:Martial Art Form

Lawrence Schoen wrote:
>Sadly, this does need to be considered canon.  I don't like it either (though
>I haven't seen this episode yet, it probably airs here this evening), but
>there's an important thing to consider:  Dorn is an actor, and one who
>doesn't have quite the same interest in linguistic matters as the readers of
>this list.  When *any* actors are reading scripts with Klingon words, you
>have to try and figure out how they're mangling the sounds and recreate what
>was printed in the script (e.g., H vanishs entirely usually, being treated as
>the aspiration it is in English).

and I ask:
   Pardon me if this has been asked before or if this has been discussed
to death already but - doesn't it seem likely that different Klingons
would speak Klingon with different accents?  We are talking about a world
full of Klingons.  I mean if Chekov can get away with "wessels" can we expect
a Klingon who grew up with Earthers to speak with perfect Klingon with no
should be fine.
   In the case of Gowron who tends according to the quoted posting to speak
Klingon rather well - we can assume he grew up with people who spoke with
"no accent" as people who grew up in the midwest are said to for American
English.  Or even that he came from a family with the money to afford (and the
inclination to do so) private teachers or tutors.
   To take this one more step.  Can we take as canon anything any Klingon
says?  Even down to Klingon sayings.  Think of how many people use mixed
metaphors.  I heard a great one in NYC the other day... "Well, she's no rocket
surgeon."  Although in my opinion this is complete gibberish I am sure that
the person who said it felt he was using a valid construction.  So while
of  every Star Trek novel they had.  I bought quite a few of them dealing with 
Klingons in some way and read them only to find vast discrepencies 
in some cases about such simple things 
as the climate of the Klingon homeworld (or more to the point what 
atmospheric conditions the Klingons prefered).   As a budding 
anthropologist I realize that the few numbers of Klingons 
we come into contact with are not nearly enough to gain a true 
understanding of Klingon culture so arguing points based on the 
evidence of one Klingon's behavior are beyond academic and 
approach the absurd.  Just had to throw this last part in there because I
see too many arguments vehemently argued on one case only.

Thanks for your time
Teddy
///////////////////////////////////////////////Hail Eris!/////////////////
Omp                                  "The way that can be spoken of     /
[email protected]         is not the constant way;" -L.T.  /
[email protected]    Taoist, Gay, male-Dianic and Chubby-Chaser/
C-Serve 72237,170                     (what more is there?)          /
[email protected]                                                     / 
(awfully long for a sig, ain't it?)                                /
May you have the knowledge of a sage and the wisdom of a child.   /

Back to archive top level