nuqneH! kaltxi! Su cuy'gar! Did you miss me??

...And I'm back! Heck, it's only been ..... four years!?!?

About that greeting....

• nuqneH! tlhIngan Hol (Klingon)
• kaltxi! Navi' (Avatar)
• Su cuy'gar! Mando'a (Star Wars)

Building a Tiny Language Lab


What's new?! Have you heard of micro:bit? It is an amazing "bit of kit" as the saying goes. A computer powered by two AAA batteries, with light, gee force, angle, compass sensors. Two input buttons, audio output, A 5x5 matrix of LEDs and connectors for more input and ability to drive motors.

Using makecode.microbit.com you can program it with a block language or Javascript.


Well, my go-to when learning a new programming language or environment is to say "how can I connect this to alien languages?" So I created a simple program to play with vocabulary from tlhIngan Hol, Navi' and Mando'a.

I chose 13 English words that had equivalents in all three and built this program:

http://mrklingo.freeshell.org/xenolang3.html  (links to micro:bit simulator)

Not sure how practical it is, but it will show you the alien language when you press the "B" button. The "A" button toggles between  K(lingon), M(ando'a) and N(avi'). To move forward and back in the vocabulary you tilt the device left (back) or right (forward).  Shaking the device jumps to a random entry in the list.

For another bit of fun I programmed Psalm 117 into the micro:bit -

http://mrklingo.freeshell.org/psalm117.html (links to micro:bit simulator)

Pressing A gives the Living Bible translation, B give (transliterated) Hebrew, and A+B shows my translation into tllhIngan Hol.

Next steps? I'm planning to adapt the xenolang3 program into a Scratch version with more features!