tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Nov 16 18:20:42 2002
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RE: QeD De'wI' ngermey
On Sat, 16 Nov 2002, DloraH wrote:
> There exists the organization The Klingon Language Institute. How does this
> organization exist? People volunteer their time and efforts. Sometimes
> their names go without mention. One form of recognition is what is called
> The Friends of Maltz. Along with a certificate, they also have the
> privilege of requesting a word from Maltz; tho many times we end up
> receiving more than just a word. One of the Friends of Maltz is a pilot...
I've seen & heard of this, and I think it's a cool way of rewarding those
who've contributed a lot of time and effort.
I suppose, though, perhaps the question goes even deeper -- What's the
future of Klingon? Will it remain a "toy language", evolving at a pace
determined by a single person, or will it start to evolve on its own?
I realize the language is in a wierd state, being copyrighted by
Paramount, and I'm not proposing we usurp control of the language from the
good doctor, but I do wonder if this lethargic pace isn't unnecessarily
hindering its evolution.
Perish the thought, but what's to become of the language should Dr. Okrand
pass on? With no canon source, the language will stagnate, until someone
takes up the mantle for developing its future. Of course, by then it will
be too late; a power struggle for control of the language will ensue,
endless arguments over whether one person's solution to a grammatical
problem is valid or not because it was never canonized by Okrand.
Given that we do have the luxury of a magnificently maintained KLI (I just
got my copy of the Grammarian's Desk Reference and official KLI membership
card ;) and given that the KLI appears to be the conduit through which the
new canon material from Dr. Okrand appears, I have to wonder if perhaps
there's shouldn't possible be an honorary canon source, like perhaps Dr.
Schoen, or perhaps some kind of tribunal to review and vote on proposals,
or to brainstorm and solve problems, fill holes?
I suppose the other question is, if I were to author "Software Engineering
for Klingons" and put forth the use of existing words for idiomatic
purposes, would I be wasting my time going down a path inherently wrong?
...Paul
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