[tlhIngan Hol] Clarification on SIch

[Will Martin]

I’m in total agreement with both SuStel and Lieven here. Okrand started the language and has worked for years to develop it in order for it to continue to be useful, both in the Star Trek fictional universe and for those of us who have the peculiar hobby of learning and using it. He deserves his continued role as absolute authority on the vocabulary and grammar, even as the KLI explores the details of stuff he hasn’t nailed down yet, and the KLI willingly forfeits any guesses we made that subsequently turn out to be incorrect, according to Okrand.

I’ve seen a video of him saying that he’d like the language to survive him and that he was somehow preparing to hand over ownership and development of the language to an unnamed entity, but as he said it (years ago), it seemed like a vague intent without an actual plan. One would suspect that the KLI, having a license from ViaCom for use of the language and most of the human experience in its use among our members, would be high on the list of successors.

All who do not know Okrand should rest assured that he is not a control freak. He has spent years bewildered by his accidental authority in what was started as a fun little project, but has led to significance far beyond his wildest fantasies. He gracefully carries his responsibility for this thing that has had spin-off effects that continue to delight and surprise him. Again, Atlantean could have been as big as Klingon, but Fate is quirky, and the Klingon seed took root in a way that Atlantean seemingly has not.

If he does eventually give all authority to the language to the KLI, it will have to get serious about establishing protocols and authority roles in order to avoid destructive chaos that could splinter or end interest in the language entirely. There have always been individuals with a passionate desire to usurp the language and take on self-declared authority over grammar and vocabulary. Our agreement on Okrand as the sole source of canon has been the primary rule that has preserved the KLI as an entity and through it, the core community that any language needs in order to survive.

Like many human endeavors, the Klingon language needs to grow at a healthy pace. Too slow and it stagnates and dies. Too fast, and it becomes cancerous and explosive and impossible for new people to learn or for experienced speakers to keep up with.

Whatever the case, the KLI can serve by offering The Official Vocabulary, and a community that includes sufficient expertise in the details of the grammar, and how to work around its limits. Its challenge has always been how to do this without hating each other, which is the weirdest thing about this particular language. Maybe other artificial languages have similar challenges, but it seems odd that people who probably would like each other a lot in any other context because, hey, we are all obviously interesting and intelligent here, who are involved in a common effort to enjoy this strange medium of communication, can piss each other off so much so often.

I mean, we’re doing this to have fun.

At least, that’s why *I’M* doing it. And I’m not trying to hog the fun. There’s plenty of it to go around.

And I’m not blaming this on other people. I know that I participate in the un-fun parts as much as anybody. I just don’t understand why.

How can we, as fun-seekers playing in this fun cultural phenomenon keep corrupting our playground with venom and grudges? Even as I participate, I do not understand it.

My step-son recently explained that intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing not to put tomatoes in your fruit salad. I think that we, as a group, have more intelligence than wisdom. I’m personally working on improving the ratio within myself, with obviously mixed success.

charghwI’ vaghnerya’ngan

rInpa’ bomnIS be’’a’ pI’.




> On Apr 24, 2019, at 10:32 AM, Lieven L. Litaer <levinius at gmx.de> wrote:
> 
> Am 24.04.2019 um 15:48 schrieb SuStel:
>> I don't understand the burning desire to proclaim /Discovery/ Klingon as
>> canonical. The translators did their best to stick to canonical Klingon,
>> so it's not like bringing in /Discovery/ Klingon will usher in fantastic
>> new vistas in linguistic understanding. At best it would add additional
>> data points in support of the current status quo of understanding of
>> canonical Klingon, tautologically.
> 
> Although I sometimes have had weird and strong arguments and discussions
> with SuStel, I am thankful for him sometimes being so strict on some
> rules, and I agree with him here. Our first rule is "Canon = Okrand".
> There really is no need to change that.
> 
> If we would accept DSC Klingon dialogues as canon, then we can start
> using other translations as well. And then the question will be how far
> can we expand this? Who will decide what is acceptable, what not? I have
> translated over 8,000 sentences for the subtitles of Netflix; they are
> on Star Trek, available almost worldwide (sorry for America), and they
> are even more than what the Klingons have spoken. We have lots of
> Klingon literature, Klingon songs, Klingon poetry...
> 
> I keep following the rule that using those translations for learning and
> practicing are a good base for exercise, but canon is canon and canon is
> Okrand only.
> 
> --
> Lieven L. Litaer
> aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany"
> http://www.klingonisch.de
> http://www.klingonwiki.net/En/Canon
> _______________________________________________
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> tlhIngan-Hol at lists.kli.org
> http://lists.kli.org/listinfo.cgi/tlhingan-hol-kli.org

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