Programming in Tongues

Kaltxi! New Words from a New World!

2010-01-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

By this time, it would be surprising to find anyone who hasn't heard of James Cameron's new blockbuster, Avatar. The most exciting thing about it - at least to me is the Na'vi language!

The Na’vi language is the constructed language of the Na’vi, the sapient humanoid indigenous inhabitants of the fictional moon Pandora in the 2009 film Avatar. It was created by Paul Frommer, a professor at the Marshall School of Business with a doctorate in linguistics. Na’vi was designed to fit James Cameron's conception of what the language should sound like in the film, to be realistically learnable by the fictional human characters of the film, and to be pronounceable by the actors, but to not closely resemble any single human language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%27vi_language

Even better, there is a terrific community already discussing and providing resources to learn the language at http://www.learnnavi.org - check it out!

They have the vocabulary, and linguistic background - even simple phrases:

I've also created a simple lookup tool at http://navi.mrklingon.org

In other news - I've rebuilt a number of my pages using Google pages:

In addition, you'll now find the complete Mando'a vocabulary available, as well as a Mando'a version of the Universal Translator Assistant!

Back to the Shipyards.....

2008-04-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

Building a spaceship, and exploring a new universe.

http://www.delta7studios.com/

The new universe.....

http://podiobooks.com/title/quarter-share

http://podiobooks.com/

Bonus! Klingon software!

http://www.twobrotherssoftware.com/tlhaq/

Music, "The Lucky Black Cat" by James Curran, from Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/jamescurranluckyblackcat

Your Plastic Pal Who's Fun to Be With

2008-02-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

Wouldn't it be FUN to have a plastic pal - your very own robot - well you CAN!

Of course... not all robots are fun...

Here's Marvin, everyone's favorite paranoid android, with genuine people personality!

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/19/boing-boing-tv-tanks.html

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/BEAM_robotics

BEAM robotics

The word "beam" in BEAM robotics is an acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics. This is a term that refers to a style of robotics that primarily uses simple analog circuits, such as comparators, instead of a microprocessor in order to produce an unusually simple design (in comparison to traditional mobile robots) that trades flexibility for robustness and efficiency in performing the task for which it was designed. ...

he basic BEAM principles focus on a stimulus-response based ability within a machine. The underlying mechanism was invented by Mark W. Tilden where the circuit (or a Nv net of Nv neurons) is used to simulate biological neuron behaviors. ...
Other rules that are included (and to varying degrees applied):

Use the lowest number possible of electronic elements ("keep it simple")
Recycle and reuse technoscrap
Use radiant energy (such as solar power)

http://www.streettech.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1618

Boing Boing tv: Tanks-A-Lot / Mark's Vibrobot

Posted by Xeni Jardin, October 19, 2007 10:21 AM | permalink

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/15/howto-make-a-vibrobo.html
http://boingboing.net/videos/vibrobot.mov

PROMO: http://www.spacecasey.com/

Music:

Title:	I played my concertina
Performer:	Arthur Osmond.

Action!

2007-10-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

NEW! Try the Star Wars Phrasebook in Java!

(https://swlanguages.mrklingon.org)
(http://members.aol.com/jpklingon/uta/GALDict.html)

http://www.panicstruckpro.com/revelations/

http://mashup.starwars.com

http://origamiaerospace.blogspot.com/

http://origamiaerospace.blogspot.com/2007/10/flight-of-paper-x-wing.html

Music
Corellian Shipyards - From "Revelations" soundtrack http://www.chrisbouchard.co.uk/

Empire!

2007-09-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

Reflecting on the popularity of "Empires" in Science Fiction stories.

CoDominium (Niven and Pournelle
Barrayar (Lois McMaster Bujold)
Manticore (David Weber)

Do it yourself - build your own space empire with a Free "4X" (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) game:

FreeOrion - www.FreeOrion.org

Music - from the Cylinder Preservation Project:
The US Marine Band - Emperor's Manoeuvre

Hacking Your Way Into Space!

2007-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

How to hack your way into space

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/08/how-to-hack-you.html

Way up there!

You can also find the video at http://www.archive.org/details/OrigamiAerospace-TestFilm

Play / Download (help)

64Kb MPEG4 (1.2 MB)
256Kb MPEG4 (2.9 MB)
Windows Media (6.7 MB)

Here's my first attempt at creating a film using Air Rockets. I used a snippet from NASA's Columbia Anthem Gets Grammy Nod, and two flights put together.

http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/airRocket/index.html

I recently showed off model rockets for some neighbor kids this week, and I built one of these to show off some almost free rockets that you can blast off.

I tested it indoors (big mistake) then had to work to clean the smudge off the ceiling. These are more powerful and fast than you'd expect. Out doors it disappeared (almost) higher than the trees. After two launches it was lost in the trees. No matter - a little paper and tape and I've got two more ready for flight.

More Rocket Fun!

Googling around and I found a terrific rocket simulator/design tool at NASA!
http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/rktsim.html

This amazing thing does simple ballistic, water, and solid engine rockets. Even better - it does AIR ROCKETS! (pictured). Clicking on the links, it turns out there is some pretty sophisticated information and math for rocket scientists.

-----------------------
MUSIC: "Way Up There" Columbia Anthem Gets Grammy Nod

The Wheel Turns

2007-09-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast version)

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Obit-Jordan.html
Author Robert Jordan Dies

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 17, 2007

Filed at 3:23 p.m. ET

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Author Robert Jordan, whose ''Wheel of Time'' series of fantasy novels sold millions of copies, died Sunday of a rare blood disease. He was 58.

Jordan, whose real name was James Oliver Rigney Jr., was born and lived in this southern city most of his life. He died at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston of complications from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, his personal assistant, Maria Simons, said Monday. The blood disease caused the walls of Rigney's heart to thicken.

He wrote a trilogy of historical novels set in Charleston under the pen name Reagan O'Neal in the early 1980s. Then he turned his attention to fantasy and the first volume in his Wheel of Time epic, ''The Eye of the World,'' was published in 1990 under the name Robert Jordan.

Jordan's books tells of Rand al'Thor, who is destined to become the champion who will battle ultimate evil in a mythical land....

LANGUAGES!

http://www.wotmud.org/game/glossary.html
http://www.wotmud.org/directory/oldtongue.php

WOTMUD IV
Wheel of Time MUD

http://wotmud.org/

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/

Title:
The armourer's song

[Robin Hood. Selections]

Performer:
Frank C. Stanley.

Issue Number/Label:
8074: Edison Gold Moulded Record

Year of Release:
[1904]

The armourer's song

Attention all Wermos!

2007-03-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

Wermo (wer moh) n. 1. A stupid person, an idiot. 2. One who is pitiable, contemptible, or weak-willed. 3. Worm. 4. slang Boy.

http://www.completewermosguide.com/

Welcome to Summer, the creator of the Complete Wermos guide.

From MentalFloss.com - the world's geekiest crossword puzzle: worksheet_conlang.pdf

Back to the Cantina!

2007-02-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

Back to the Cantina!

(click for podcast)

UTA - the classic VB3 program
Classic UTA for Windows updated to include the Galactic Phrasebook!

miitkad - a minimalist Windows text editor with alien language font support
http://miitkad.mrklingon.org

Cantina: The next generation UTA program:

--------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_and_Linguistics_in_Frank_Herbert%27s_Dune

Frank Herbert's novel Dune, and his Dune series in general, incorporates a number of different themes related to language or linguistics, both in the techniques Herbert used in the actual writing itself, and more obviously, in the plot and characters. This is consistent with a broader theme of these novels, specifically, the nearly limitless power inherent in the human mind and body, and the power of training and discipline to enhance both physical and mental performance.

Accordingly, heightened language skill and linguistic power are among the traits explored by Herbert in his works.

--------------------

Look at your library for Net Library! A great way to get free linguistic education!

Net Library: http://www.netlibrary.com

Taking Leave!

2006-11-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

http://www.lostinspacerobot.com

Guest: Karen Traviss

Here's some information from Karen's website at www.karentraviss.com

MANDO'A LANGUAGE RESOURCE - the Mando'a to English and English to Mando'a dictionaries plus the grammar guide are here . Updated November '06. Next update: March '07. Oya!

Site updated November 3 2006

NEW - REPUBLIC COMMANDO - HARD CONTACT will be available in Polish translation from Amber Books in December.

Russian editions of CITY OF PEARL and CROSSING THE LINE coming next year. More details later.

OUT NOW

MATRIARCH, book four of the wess'har wars, from HarperCollins. (Yes, this is a six-book series - it didn't end in book three! Plenty more to come yet...)

BLOODLINES - New York Times bestseller! Also available in a hardcover special edition from the Science Fiction Book Club.

A PRACTICAL MAN - a Boba Fett e-novella available from Random House, Diesel e-books and Mobipocket. You can also get it (and my other e-stuff) from Fictionwise and most other e-book sellers.

Coming in 2007/08

Book 5 of the Wess'har Wars - ALLY April 2007: book 6, JUDGE, Fall/ Winter 2007. LEGACY OF THE FORCE: SACRIFICE - June 2007. REPUBLIC COMMANDO #3 - August 2007. LEGACY OF THE FORCE #8 -March 2008. REPUBLIC COMMANDO #4 -August 2008.

http://www.karentraviss.com

Heading back to Mars!

Thanks to NASA and the Planetary Society, we'll soon be heading back to Mars on the Phoenix Mission, see? You can come, too!

MUSIC: www.chrisbouchard.co.uk
From Star Wars Revelations Soundtrack.

zha riest'n, Mr. Ford!

2006-10-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Final Reflection

(click for podcast)

by John M. Ford

Ah - I had to re-read this this week, for you see, John M. Ford, passed away this week. A fine writer and highly regarded by friends and readers - if you've not read his books - do it today! This is an example - maybe the best - of what a great writer can do with Star Trek.

In this he created a fascinating view of the Klingons - AND provides us with the first written Klingon dialect! Don't miss it!

What a great writer! Thank you, Mike!

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/008033.html

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/John_M._Ford

http://www.khemorex-klinzhai.de/Hol/klingonaase.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20050213044240/http://www.pinette.net/chris/startrek/klinaase.html

Here's a table of Klingonaase as revealed in "The Final Reflection"

Klingonaase	Federation Standard
Kahlesste kaase!	Kahless' hand,'' an oath referring to the story of the Emperor Kahless, who died with his hand tied to the controls of his ship in a battle against Romulans.[k]
Klingon	Klingon. Noun only, I think.[k]
Klinzhai	The Klingon homeworld -- not called 'Klingon'![k]
epetai-zana	Honored and exalted one.[k]
fedegonaase	UFP standard language, whatever that is.[k]
federazhon	The United Federation of Planets.[k]
g'daya	to ''damned,'' but probably stronger.(swearing)[k]
g'dayt	Undefined adjectives (gerunds?), roughly equivalent (swearing)[k]
gagny	Damned.(swearing)[k]
hum zha	The Human game, chess.[k]
humanai kuvest'	Either ''human slave'' or ''slave of the humans.''[k]
kaase	Hand.[k]
kai kassai	The same, emphasized. ''Kai kassai, Klingon!''[k]
kai	Hail, or ''long live''. Used often, as ''Kai ''.[k]
kherx	A screw-up.(swearing)[k]
khest	To screw up.(swearing)[k]
khest'n	roughly equal to ''damned.''(swearing)[k]
khest't	roughly equal to ''damned.''(swearing)[k]
khesterex thath	Screwed up situation.(swearing)[k]
khesterex	Literally, ''the structure which dies.''[k]
kleon	Enemy, or opponent. Same, to a Klingon.[k]
klin zha kinta	The Klingon game with living pieces.[k]
klin zha	The Klingon game (in several variations).[k]
klin	That which is Klingon. One can be 'full of klin,' i.e., a worthy Klingon.[k]
klingonaase	The Klingonese language.[k]
komerex Klingon	The Klingon Empire.[k]
komerex tel khesterex	This was an interjection, probably ''grow or die.''[k]
komerex zha	See 'zha' below.[k]
komerex zha	The perpetual game -- life. See 'komerex' above.[k]
komerex	Literally, ''the structure which grows.'' Overtones of ''path,'' or even ''Tao.''[k]
kuve	Servitor; alternative translation is slave.[k]
kuvekhestat	Worthless slave(s). See 'khest' above.[k]
kuveleta	Half-slave; an insult. Klingons mix races freely, but have cultural prejudices against some.[k]
kuvesa tokhesa	I serve willingly.''[k]
nal	Negating word -- as, ''Nal komerex, khesterex.''[k]
parkhest	Damn!(swearing)[k]
rom zha	The Romulan game, latrunculo.[k]
sa tel'ren	Two out of three. One can't assume sa=2 and ren=3.[k]
straave, straav'	Slave.[k]
tai	Worthy, honored.[k]
tai-kleon	Worthy opponent. See 'kleon' above.[k]
teskas tal'tai-kleon	Compliments to a worthy opponent.[k]
teskas	Compliments, praise.[k]
tharavul	Vulcan servitor, lobotomized to remove the Vulcan's telepathic powers. This is done voluntarily.[k]
tharkuve	Deaf slave, unable to overhear secret conferences.[k]
tokhe straav'	Willing slave. Just about the worst insult one can call a Klingon.[k]
tokhe	Willing. See 'straave' and 'kuve' above.[k]
tokhest'	From context, ''if he is willing or not.'' Your guess is as good as mine how much of that is in the -st', and how much is implied.[k]
vird'dakaase	Disruptor. Literally, ''shake-till-falls-apart tool.'' Note the -aase (or -kaase) suffix.[k]
zan	Neutral title of respect; roughly equal to Mister.[k]
zha riest'n	It was a] pleasant game.[k]
zha	Game.[k]

Music Escape from Quorran III, Revelations Soundtrack by Chris Bouchard

Remember!

2006-09-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hey - if you're going to learn a language - especially an alien one - you need to remember it!

(click for podcast)

http://remember-pi.mrklingon.org

Click to download EasyAsPi

http://www.pseudonumerology.com/

The Memory Book

---

Music - from Revelations Soundtrack, by Chris Bouchard http://chrisbouchard.co.uk/

A BIBLE for Boba?

2006-08-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

http://mndbible.mrklingon.org/

The Mando'a Language Version of the World English Bible

http://mndbible.mrklingon.org/why.html

One church at a time....

Why A Mando'a Bible?

The Mando'a language is (c) Lucasfilm 2006. http://www.starwars.com

Mando'a language references at http://www.karentraviss.com/

Once anyone hears of a project to make something like a Mando'a Bible, the question that comes up is "why?" Certainly there is no need for such a version, as there is a need for a Bible in English, Spanish, German, or any other "real" language. There is no person who would only be able to access the scriptures in Mando'a.

But in the study of artificial languages, translating standard works of literature like the Bible is often done, and for two reasons. First, it is a way to exercise and develop the language, and second, it helps to develop a body of literature in that language. This literature can then be used and referred to by people learning and using the language.

For some, there can be other benefits. Though this kind of translation might seem frivolous, the work of producing such a translation can have devotional value even if the translation is never used. The effort of reading the scriptures and considering their meaning for a translation cannot fail to benefit the translator by helping him or her develop a deeper understanding of the text.

For example, the Klingon language community has produced at least three efforts in this direction. The Klingon Language Institute (http://www.kli.org) organized a long-term project to translate the Bible. Currently on hiatus, this project has yielded only a few books, for example, the Gospel of Mark. In addition, the Rev. Glen Prochel published a book, Good News for the Warrior Race, which presents the gospels and other selected scriptures in parallel with a "Star Trek" English paraphrase. Finally, I've created a simple Klingon Language Version, http://klv.mrklingon.org. The software used to create the KLV was adapted to create this Mando'a text.

The project presented here, the Mando'a Language Version, is actually a relexification of the World English Bible (WEB) and serves as a demonstration of what a complete Mando'a Bible would look like. When developed by Karen Traviss, the Mando'a language had a large vocabulary of common words that could be mapped to English. These were used to transform the WEB into Mando'a. Though it may not be a grammatical Mando'a text (actually it is more of a pidgin-Mando'a, mixing English vocabulary and grammar with Mando'a) it does provide vocabulary which can be used in doing a proper Mando'a translation.

By the way, the designation of this project, the MND, may appear to be a mere contraction of "Mando'a" - but I prefer to think it stands for Mando'a Naak Dajun, Mandalorian Peace Plan.

Joel Anderson / joel@mrklingon.org

Note: I've placed a shuk'orok, a Mandalorian Crushgaunt, on the cover because it seems an appropriately brutal analog to the cross. According to the Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia:

a specialized, armored glove created in the Mandalore System, the Crushgaunt was first developed by the Mandalorian Mercs. Each crushgaunt enhanced the wearer's ability to crush objects, such as hands or other body parts, allowing them to do considerable damage with minimal effort. The use of crushgaunts was outlawed by the Mandalorian government many centuries before the Galactic Civil War, but their use was later revived by the Mandalorian Death Watch. It was also rumored that one of Darth Vader's gloves was a crushgaunt, and that the being who recovered it after the Battle of Endor would become the next ruler of the Empire. It was later learned that this was a ruse that was perpetrated by the so-called Church of the Dark Side.

Back to the Mandoa Bible

MND: Mando'a Language Version of the World English Bible

The MND Bible is a free to distribute version of the WEB using a Mando'a relexification vocabulary.

The Mando'a language is (c) Lucasfilm 2006. http://www.starwars.com

For Mando'a language references see

http://www.karentraviss.com/html/cont_newmandoa.htm

Music - Repcom Medly from Republic Commando http://blogs.starwars.com/ywingempress/23

The Mando'a Language Version, MrKlingon.org and the Universal Translator Assistant Project are in no way affiliated with Lucasfilms. Mando'a, and Star Wars in all its various forms, is a trademark of Lucasfilms. Mando'a-language resources presented here are for the edification and enjoyment of hobbyists, not for profit.

1632 and all that!

2006-07-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

Prologue

The mystery would never be solved. It would simply join others, like the Tunguska event or the Square Crater on Callisto, in the catalogue of unexplained occurrences. The initial worldwide excitement waned within a few months, as it became clear that no quick answers would be found. For a few years grieving relatives would, with some success, press officialdom to maintain the studies and inquiries. But there were no lawyers to keep the fires stoked. The courts ruled soon enough that the Grantville Disaster was an Act of God, for which insurance companies were not liable. Within ten years, the Disaster had devolved into another domain of fanatics and enthusiasts, like the Kennedy Assassination. Thereafter, of course, it enjoyed a near-eternal half-life. But few if any reputable scientists in the world held out any hope for a final explanation....

Welcome to the Year of Our Lord 1632
Get your pickup truck and deer rifle -- We're joining the Thirty Years' War!

In May of the year 2000, a six-mile sphere, centered on Grantville, West Virginia, was displaced in space and time to Germany and 1631. When the inhabitants of Grantville decided to start the American revolution early the nobility of Europe were not amused.

This story, by Eric Flint, is the basis for a great deal of lively discussion on Baen's Bar on the Baen Book web site since 1999.

The 1632 universe has spawned sequels including an anthology, Ring of Fire, 1633, 1634: The Galileo Affair, and continuing issues of the 1632 universe's magazine The Grantville Gazette both as electronic and print editions. More books and magazines are coming soon including: 1634: The Baltic War, 1634: The Ram Rebellion, 1635: The Cannon Law.

Check it all out at: www.1632.org

The books (at least three of them) are free to download at the inestimable Baen Free library: http://www.baen.com/library

MUSIC: Bucketboy Bluegrass Band

Bucketboy Bluegrass Band's Newsletter

Genre: Country (Bluegrass)
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Bucket boy Bluegrass is a two piece street band seasoned by the sites and sounds of Michigan Avenue.

Star Wars on Trial!

2006-07-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast version)

http://www.starwarsontrial.com/

Now here's an interesting looking book - I've got
it on order - I'll let you know what I think.

Karen Traviss's next book is on the way - August 29th:
You can preview LEGACY OF THE FORCE: BLOODLINES - the prologue, in audiobook format , read by Marc Thompson.(Sounds Terrific).

http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/starwars/sw_legacy.html

Meanwhile, I'm listening to the audio versions of the prequel trilogy - I have to admit, though I read the books when they came out.... the audio experience is outstanding, maybe better than the movies!

Check out the Random House Audio podcast, It's a Big Universe!

iTunes URL (sorry it's the only one I have)

Don't forget SQPN.com's "Secrets of Star Wars" - been a while since a new episode, but still good!

http://www.sqpn.com/scripts/starwars.php

http://www.atomfilms.com/af/spotlight/collections/starwars/
AtomFilms

MUSIC FROM: www.chrisbouchard.co.uk

The MiitKad Project

2006-07-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

MiitKad - Word Sword - a Minimalist Editor

http://miitkad.mrklingon.org
This is a dead-simple editor, in the vein of DarkRoom and WriteRoom. I'd be very surprised if it is of interest to many people, but it is a fun little thing to play around with for me.

It is an ALIEN text processor, because if you install Aurek-Besh (see below) you can
edit just the way Luke Skywalker would!
---

For all your alien font needs - Aurek-Besh and MORE:

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/4965/sffont.html

---

BE sure to visit http://www.karentraviss.com
for the latest about Mando'a and all of Karen's excellent books!

New Worlds and Old

2006-07-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

Korolev: How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive to Beat America to the Moon

James J. Harford

An amazing book:

A mysterious figure, virtually unknown even in his own country, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev masterminded not only the historic launch of Sputnik and the first intercontinental ballistic missile, but Yuri Gagarin's epochal space flight, and, ultimately, the Soviet attempt to beat America to the moon. Who was Korolev? Where did he come from? Why is so little known about him?

This is a great entry into the world of the Soviet space program, a fascinating history and an amazing man - recommended!

While it is common to consider the "Space Race" in terms of "US won, USSR lost," The Soviet space program was filled with triumphs. I think my favorite is their exploration of Venus -

Read about it HERE: http://mentallandscape.com/V_Venus.htm

Launches To Venus

http://www.worldwindcentral.com/wiki/Venus

NASA's free WorldWind program lets you expore Venus!
http://www.worldwindcentral.com/wiki/Venus
http://www.worldwindcentral.com/wiki/NASA_World_Wind_Download

To learn more about the Russian/Soviet Space program - past and future, visit this excellent site: http://russianspaceweb.com/

If you'd like to build your own "table of languages," or "translator" take a look at this page for material in many many languages:

http://www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/

Jennifer's Language Page!

Music: Russian kamarinskaja

Completely Unofficial

2006-06-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast)

http://www.cuswe.org

Welcome to
The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia
compiled and written by Bob Vitas

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Betrayal

Aaron Allston

When a mission to uncover an illegal
missile factory on the planet Adumar
ends in a violent ambush -- from which
Jedi Knight Jacen Solo and his protégé
and cousin, Ben Skywalker, narrowly
escape with their lives -- it’s the most
alarming evidence yet that sparks of
political unrest are threatening to
ignite into total rebellion. The
governments of numerous worlds are
chafing under the strict regulations of
the Galactic Alliance, and diplomatic
efforts to enforce compliance are
failing. Fearing the worst, the Alliance
readies a preemptive display of military
might in a bid to bring the rogue worlds
in line before an uprising erupts. The
designated target of this exercise:
planet Corellia -- renowned for the
brash independence and renegade spirit
that have made its favorite son, Han
Solo, a legend.

! Very good! I'm impressed (as I noted in Triple Zero) how the SW books manage to deal with contemporary themes, without being literally ABOUT Iraq and such.

Lots of interesting plot lines, and action (Allston is good at that). Like the Return of the Jedi, there are many quick cuts between scenes and locations. A very good SF story, that just happened to be a Star Wars book!

Following that in the series will be Karen Traviss's entrant - guaranteed to have more Mando'a!

See her pages at www.karentraviss.com for Mando'a!

NEXT UP:

LEGACY OF THE FORCE: BLOODLINES - US/ UK September

Surfing the Waves!

2006-05-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Set your podcasts FREE!!!!!
(click for Podcast version)

Broadcast Your Podcast: http://broadcastyourpodcast.com

Heinlein Concordance
Specifically, the Rolling Stones

(thanks, Amazon!)

Music - Leah Martensen
http://www.joyfulsoundrecords.com/music.htm

New Horizons!

2006-05-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

Setting our sites on new worlds - and MAKING THEM!
(click for podcast version)

http://www.l5news.org

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/SpaceSettlement/

Space Settlements

spreading life throughout the solar system

Horizons! Gone, but not forgotten! A dream of the future, now gone, that lived in Epcot from 1983-1999.

http://www.horizons1.com

To ride Horizons again - watch this video

Take a journey back in time and ride Horizons (14:52)
http://intercot.com/themeparks/epcot/futureworld/horizons/default.asp

The Language of space: From Stargazers to Starships

Astronomy of the Earth's motion in space.

Newtonian mechanics.

The Sun

Spaceflight and spacecraft

and .... A word of caution!

Here's the language part: http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sgloss.htm

Mission Space

A few good words:

http://www.spacequotes.com/

Arthur C. Clarke once wrote that new ideas pass through three periods:

"It can't be done."
"It probably can be done, but it's not worth doing."
"I knew it was a good idea all along!"

And the good Doctor Asimov says a few things, too:

Our Future in the Cosmos--Space

BASIC-ly speaking.....

2006-04-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

(click for podcast version)

Revisiting the past -

Basic
the standard language spoken throughout the galaxy, Basic was believed to have been derived from several ancient languages, including Dromnyr.

OR

BASIC is a family of high-level programming languages. Originally devised as an easy-to-use programming language, it became widespread on home microcomputers in the 1980s, and remains popular to this day in a handful of heavily evolved dialects. It was devised in 1963 by Profs. John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz of Dartmouth College.

Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code

Commodore 64 Programs for Klingon Language
	uta - provides primitive "translating" of English <--> Klingon. Really doing a relexification between two vocabularies
	kahless - provides vocabularly look up from the Klingon words in Michael Jan Friedman's book "Kahless".
	nlex - vocabulary lookup. A subset of words from the Klingon dictionary and afix charts (noun and verb suffixes, and verb prefixes).

Commodore 64

Retrobits podcast : http://retrobits.libsyn.com

MUSIC:

The High Voltage SID Collection - Commodore 64 music for the masses
http://www.hvsc.c64.org/

SIDPLAY2 Home Page http://sidplay2.sourceforge.net/

Being the Alien

2006-04-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

Native Languages of the Americas:
Preserving and promoting American Indian languages
http://www.native-languages.org/

The Song of Hiawatha http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19

Native American Words in Longfellow's Hiawatha
http://www.native-languages.org/hiawatha.htm
Though Hiawatha is an Iroquois hero, Longfellow's poem is set in Minnesota, and most of the Native American words he uses in it come from the Minnesota Indian languages Ojibwe (Chippewa) and Dakota Sioux. The story Longfellow relates, too, is primarily based not on the Iroquois legend of Hiawatha but rather on the Chippewa legend of Nanabozho, a rabbit spirit who was the son of the west wind and raised by his grandmother.

Music:

Title:	Hiawatha
Performer:	Columbia Orchestra.
Issue Number/Label:	32092: Columbia Phonograph Co.
Year of Release:	[1903 or 1904]

What if there aren't any Words?

2006-03-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

(podcast version here)

Some thinking about non-human, non-verbal communications....

How could we communicate ... if there aren't any words? Remember the tones in "Close Encounters?" That's one solution - here's one attempt to solve that problem:

http://home.pacifier.com/~patten/

UNIVERSAL COMMUNICATION

Here's how you might say/write "Today is a good day to die":

Here's a book (comments from B&N, and my mini-review) that explores human, animal and alien communication at a space station orbiting Jupiter.

Jupiter

Ben Bova

A novel of one of the strangest places imaginable, a place where hydrogen flows as a liquid, a place with a lightless ocean ten times wider than the entire earth, a place where cyclones larger than planets rage for centuries at a time.

Grant Archer merely wanted to study astrophysics, to work quietly as an astronomer on the far side of the moon. But the forces of the New Morality, the coalition of censorious do-gooders who run twenty-first century America, have other plans for him.
To his distress, Grant is torn from his young bride and sent to a research station in orbit around Jupiter, charged with the task of spying on the scientists who work there. Their work may lead to the disvoery of higher life forms in the Jovian system—a discovery whose implications might destabilize the theocratic power structure back on earth.
What Grant's would-be controllers don't know is that his loyalty to science may be greater than his desire for a quiet life. But that loyalty will be tested in a mission as dangerous as any ever undertaken.
Meanwhile, what lurks in the middle reaches of Jupiter's vast atmosphere is more than any faction has counted on...and stranger than anyone could possibly have imagined.

Wow! I really enjoyed this entrant in Bova's "Grand Tour."

He sets up several interesting problems

A powerful conservative religious coalition limiting science
Scientific obsession to the point of danger
Possibility of intelligent life on Jupiter
A young Christian scientist whose faith is challenged by the work he's doing

I wasn't sure what to expect. Other books by Bova didn't lead me to think he was particularly interested in promoting religious faith - I was afraid this book might caricature believers, and "save" the scientist by leading him away from his faith - but Bova didn't do that. Even the religious villains were not painted as completely evil. The the hero, Grant Archer, is not led away from his faith - rather the opposite. Very enjoyable, thoughtful and worth reading!

The case for animal intelligence: http://www.alexfoundation.org/

MUSIC - Aba-daba Honeymoon - some animal communication.
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu

Mando'a is OUT! Get it online from Karen Traviss http://www.karentraviss.com - and go buy Republic Commando: Triple Zero - it's got a big glossary of Mando'a and more! Follow the discussion of (and IN) Mando'a here: Star Wars official Mando'a blog

Incoming!!

2006-02-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

So... you want to know about Mando'a?

(click for podcast)

You *are* in luck!

First, because Karen Traviss's latest book Triple Zero - AND the latest Star Wars Insider will have more details and information about Mandalorians and their language, Mando'a.

AND Karen informs us the material about Mando'a will be online in the official Star Wars subscription Hyperspace Community (she also hopes to put it online at her website's Mando'a section where you'll find Karen's own recordings of spoken Mando'a. [Note: the materials at StarWars.com will be going online February 14th.]

And, best of all, we've got Karen right here giving an interview all about Mando'a! Thank you very much, Karen! [NOW, everyone go out and pre-order your copy of Triple Zero! For that matter, if you haven't... go out and buy her Wess'har books and Hard Contact, as well!]

Click on the pictures to find out how to order these!

Background music is the medley of Republic Commando game music, produced by Amy at CloneCommandos.net - another great source of info about the clones!

Oh, and you might have heard Karen use an unfamiliar word "retcon," and wondered what is "RETCON?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retcon:

Retroactive continuity – commonly contracted to the portmanteau retcon – is the adding of new information to "historical" material, or deliberately changing previously established facts in a work of serial fiction. The change itself is referred to as a "retcon", and the act of writing and publishing a retcon is called "retconning".

Retcons are common in comic books, especially those of large publishing houses such as Marvel Comics and DC Comics, due to the lengthy history of many series and the number of independent authors contributing to their development; this is the context in which the term was coined. Retconning also occurs in TV shows, movies sequels, video games, radio series, series of novels, and can be done in any other type of episodic fiction. It is also used in roleplaying, when the game master feels it is needed to maintain consistency in the story or to fix significant mistakes that were missed during play.

Thinking Positive!

2006-02-05T03:54:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)
Let's get positive - if you know how to say "NO"
you'd better know how to say "YES!"
























From The Galactic Phrasebook at MrKlingon.org:

+-----------+------------------------------+
| Galactic  |       Basic [Language]       |
+-----------+------------------------------+
|   Chak.   |         Yes. [Ewok]          |
|   Elek    | yes [Mandalorian / Mando'a]  |
|   Ibana   |         Yes. [Jawa]          |
|  Keezx.   |         Yes. [Bocce]         |
|   Tagwa   |         Yes. [Hutt]          |
|    Uma    |         Yes [Wookie]         |
|   Yesa.   |        Yes. [Gungan]         |
|    a:     |         yes [Vulcan]         |
|   au'e    |    ''Oh yes!'' [Romulan]     |
|    ie     |        yes.[Romulan]         |
|   HIja'   |      yes, true[Klingon]      |
|    luq    |  yes, okay, I will[Klingon]  |
+-----------+------------------------------+

News from Slashdot - posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday February 01, @10:36AM
from the essential-survival-toold-for-tokyo dept.

jonerik writes "Sony has released software for its popular PSP handheld gaming device called TalkMan. In development for some time now, the program currently stores about 3,000 conversation patterns in English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. 'A user may speak the words "Koko-wa-dokodesuka?" (Where is this?) in Japanese, for example, into the device's microphone, upon which a cartoon bird acting as an interpreter will pop up and start talking in the user's language. The bird is also able to translate the reply into Japanese.' A European release for TalkMan is expected in the spring."

Music from:

Just Saying NO

2006-01-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

Sometimes... the most useful thing to say... is NO!

Here's a sampling of a how to say "NO" around the galaxy:
+---------------+------------------------------+
|      NO       |    Alien Language/Meaning    |
+---------------+------------------------------+
|     Den       |          No. [Ewok]          |
|     Muawa     |         No. [Wookie]         |
|      hia      | no, oh no (interj) (Romulan) |
|     ahht      |           no (UTA Romulan)   |
|     Noah      |         No.  [Hutt]          |
|    Nobata     |       ?.   No.  [Hutt]       |
|    Nokeezx    |         No.  [Bocce]         |
|     Nosa      |         No. [Gungan]         |
|     Nyeta     |          No. [Jawa]          |
|    ghobe'     |         no [Klingon]         |
|     nirsh     |         no [Vulcan]          |
+---------------+------------------------------+

And back on planet Earth:
+-----------------------+------------------+
|       Afrikaans       |       Nee        |
|       Albanian        |        Jo        |
|        Amharic        |       Aye        |
|        Arabic         |       laa        |
|       Armenian        |      Votch       |
|       Asturian        |     non, nun     |
|      Azerbaijani      |      - Yox       |
|        Basque         |        Ez        |
|        Bengali        |        Na        |
|        Bosnian        |        Ne        |
|        Breton         |       Nann       |
|       Bulgarian       |        Ne        |
|       Cantonese       |      m hai       |
|        Catalan        |        No        |
|       Chipewyan       |     Een-ley      |
|        Cornish        |        Na        |
|        Creole         |       Non        |
|       Croatian        |        Ne        |
|         Czech         |        Ne        |
|        Dagaare        |        Ai        |
|        Danish         |       Nej        |
|         Dutch         |       Nee        |
|        English        |        No        |
|       Esperanto       |        Ne        |
|       Estonian        |        Ei        |
|        Eurish         |        No        |
|         Farsi         |       Nah        |
|        Finnish        |        Ei        |
|        French         |       Non        |
|        Frisian        |       Nee        |
|       Galician        |    Nom - Non     |
|       Georgian        |       ara        |
|        German         |       Nein       |
|         Greek         |       O'hi       |
|       Gujarati        |       naa        |
|       Hawaiian        |      `A`ole      |
|        Hebrew         |        lo        |
|         Hindi         |       nahi       |
|        Holooe         |      M--si       |
|       Hungarian       |       Nem        |
|       Icelandic       |       Nei        |
|          Ido          |        No        |
|      Indonesian       |      Tidak       |
|      Interlingua      |        No        |
|         Irish         |   ni hea, nil    |
|        Italian        |        No        |
|       Japanese        |       Iie        |
|        Korean         |  A-nim-ni-da ,   |
|                       |     A-ni-yo      |
|         Latin         |   Non, Minime    |
|        Latvian        |       Ne-        |
|      Lithuanian       |        Ne        |
|        Luganda        |      Nedda       |
|       Malaysian       |      tidak       |
|       Mandarin        |      bu shi      |
|      Marshallese      |       Jaab       |
|        Mazahua        |      pcokh       |
|       Norwegian       |       Nei        |
|        Occitan        |    Non, nani     |
|                       |     (formal)     |
|        Polish         |       Nie        |
|      Portuguese       |       Nao        |
| Brazilian Portuguese  |       Nao        |
|        Quechua        |      Manan       |
|       Romanian        |        Nu        |
|        Russian        |       Net        |
|        Serbian        |        Ne        |
|        Sesotho        |      Tjhee       |
|        Sinhala        |       Nae-       |
|        Slovak         |       nie        |
|       Slovenian       |        Ne        |
|        Spanish        |        No        |
|        Swahili        |      Hapana      |
|        Swedish        |       Nej        |
|        Tagalog        |      Hindi       |
|         Thai          | mai-chai/mai-oua |
|        Tswana         |      Nnyaa.      |
|        Turkish        |      hay?r       |
|       Ukrainian       |        ni        |
|      Vietnamese       |      Khong       |
|         Welsh         |       Nage       |
|         Wolof         |     Deedeet      |
|         Xhosa         |       Hayi       |
|        Yiddish        |       neyn       |
|         Zulu          |       cha        |
+-----------------------+------------------+

Travlang offers a Word of the day that gives you a different word or phrase in over 80 language. You can also receive the Word of the Day via email in any one language up to over 80.

Travlang offers free downloadable dictionaries along with the Ergane program that can run on your personal computer.

Ergane 8.0

What is Ergane?

Ergane is a multilingual translation dictionary for Windows that uses the artificial language Esperanto to translate words and short expressions from one natural language to another. Ergane is a product of Majstro Aplikaĵoj.

Ergane's user interface and manual are available in three languages: English, Esperanto and Dutch. The user interface alone is also available in Spanish.

On-line version

On this site is also available Travlang's On-line Translation Dictionary, which is an on-line version of Ergane:

Your browser does not support iframes. You must open a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; new window&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.

MUSIC:

(from Garageband.com)

Nocturne

Band: Ekho
Genre: Ambient

This music free to share under a Creative Commons Music Sharing License.

Ekho

Ekho's Newsletter

Hometown: Glossop, England, United Kingdom

Ekho is the ambient musings of Dave Green. Dave has been making music of one form or another since 1991. For more music click the davegreen Artist

Killik

2006-01-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

Killik
(click for podcast)

From The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia
http://www.cuswe.org/

Killik

this was the ancient language of the Killik
race, which was once native to the planet
Alderaan.

Killik

a race of insectile beings once native to the
planet Alderaan, the Killiks lived in the
towering cities they built on the plains. The
Killiks were human-sized members of the
Colony, possessing a hive mind but no
apparent technology. They built their
castle-like buildings out of the natural
elements found on Alderaan, and formed them -
mound upon mound - to create a complex series
of living, eating, and egg-laying
grottoes. They apparently decorated their
rooms with brilliant, complex mosaics of
stones and pebbles which appeared to be
little more than splashes of color, until one
stepped back and admired the entire wall from
a distance. The entire settlement on Alderaan
was known as Oroboro, which literally meant
"Our Home." However, for some unknown reason,
the Killiks left their settlement long before
humans ever settled the planet. Although it
was believed that they had simply gone
extinct, UnuThul later explained that the
Killiks had been "emptied" from Oroboro by
the Celestials some 20,000 years before the
Galactic Civil War. The Killiks left behind
their incredibly beautiful cities, which the
human inhabitants of Alderaan left untouched
for centuries. Exploration of the Killik
ruins revealed that the Killik were
four-armed insectoids with wicked,
three-clawed hands. They also had two
powerful legs that indicated the Killik could
jump long distances. After the discovery of
the Colony's existence in the Unknown
Regions, it was learned that the Killiks were
just one hive of and entire race of insectile
beings known as the Kind. The other hives of
the Colony considered the Killiks to be part
of the fabled Lost Nest.

Killik Region

this was the term used to describe those
areas of the planet Alderaan that were once
home to the Killik race. The inhabitants of
the Killik Region were simple people who
lived their lives in a way that did little or
no harm to the region, preserving the legacy
of the Killiks.

Killik Twilight

this moss-painting, created by the renowned
artist Ob Khaddar, depicted a group of
Killiks with their backs turned to the
viewer, watching an evening storm as it
approached their settlement. It was
considered one of the most valuable pieces of
art which were kept by the Royal Family, and
served as a reminder of the planet's ancient
inhabitants. Many beings described the
moss-painting with awe and reverence, even
though they had never been to Alderaan nor
seen the Killiks. During the early years of
the Alliance, Leia Organa suggested that the
codes for the Shadowcast network be hidden
within the moss-painting, to ensure their
secrecy. Killik Twilight was one of the many
artworks which were off-planet when Alderaan
was destroyed. However, the ship it was
traveling on was believed to be lost, and any
hopes of recovering the moss-painting were
dashed. Then, some four years after the
Battle of Endor, the painting reappeared on
Tatooine, where it was to be auctioned
off. Leia Organa Solo realized that the
moss-painting had to return to the New
Republic, since a wealth of information about
the Shadowcast program were coded into
it. Several attempts were made to recover the
moss-painting before it could fall into
Imperial hands, drawing Leia into a search
that revealed much of her past. Leia's
husband, Han Solo, believed that he witnessed
Threkin Horm as the site of the auction, when
the "owner" of the piece requested account
verification from all bidders. The
moss-painting was stolen from Mawbo's
Performance Hall by Kitster Banai, and was
eventually captured by a group fo
Sandpeople. The moss-painting was eventually
recovered by the Solos, who destroyed the
Shadowcast codes before turning it over to
their Squib companions, Grees, Sligh, and
Emala, in return for their help in recovering
it. The Squibs then sold it to the Empire for
a steep profit, pretending not to know that
it was no longer valuable as a piece of
Alliance technology. The painting ended up in
the personal collection of Imperial Grand
Admiral Thrawn, and many of the Imperials who
knew of its existence believed it had been
lost when Thrawn was killed. However, the
painting was recovered by Gilad Pellaeon, who
held onto it for many years until the Yuuzhan
Vong invasion of the galaxy was brought to an
end. Then, before returning to the Imperial
Remnant, Pellaeon returned the painting to
Leia Organa Solo.

Building a Killik Language:

Here's a few steps toward building a Killik Language:

1) I started with the Bible in Basic English version of the Genesis 11 account of the tower of Babel.
2) I reduced the vocabulary to as few words as needed to get the gist of the story.
3) I build a list of all the unique words.
4) I built a "rule" for Killik word construction - all words constructed of b,u, and r. and generated enough unique words to give me - using UTA Lite - http://members.aol.com/JPKlingon/uta/utajv.html
5) handed this off to my UTA program and created a "translation". Here's part of the lexicon:

BASIC	KILLIK
Babel	bbr
God	brr
Lord	brru
Shinar	bubb
So	bubbu
a	bubr
able	bubru
all	burb
and	burbu
another	burr
any	burru
are	buru
as	buu
away	buubb
be	buubbu
because	buubr
bricks	buubru
building	buubu
came	buur

6. I used SAYPAD.EXE to create a "read" version of this text

BASIC

1 all earth one language one tongue.
2 in wandering from the east, they came to flat country in Shinar,
there their living-place.
3 they said let us make bricks. they had bricks for stone, putting
them together with sticky earth.
4 they said, let us make a town, and a tower whose top as high as
heaven; let us make a great name for ourselves, so that we may not be
wanderers over earth.
5 the Lord came down to see the town and the tower which the
children of men were building.
6 the Lord said, they are all one people and have all one
language; and this is only the start of what they may do: and now it
will not be possible to keep them from any purpose of theirs.
7 let us go down and take away the sense of their language, so
they will not be able to make themselves clear to one another.
8 the Lord God sent them away into every part of the earth: and
they gave up building their town.
9 So it was named Babel, because there the Lord took away the sense of
all languages and from there the Lord sent them away over all the face
of the earth.

KILLIK

burb buuubr ruubbu rubbu ruubbu urb
rbb uuub buuurru ruuurr buuubru ruuuurb buur ubru buuurbu buurr rbb bubb
ruuuubru ruuurru rubu
ruuuurb ruuru rubru uurbu rur buubru ruuuurb buuuubu buubru buuurr ruuur ruurru
ruuuubbu ur uuuurru ruuubru buuubr
ruuuurb ruuru rubru uurbu rur bubr uubr burbu bubr uubbu uuurr uubb buu rb buu
buuuurr rubru uurbu rur bubr buuuubr rurr buuurr ruubru ruuubbu ruuurbu uuubr rurb ruru buubbu
uurr ruubu buuubr
ruuurr brru buur buuu ubru ruuu ruuurr uubr burbu ruuurr uubbu uuurbu ruuurr
buurb ruubb rurbu uuubu buubu
ruuurr brru ruuru ruuuurb buru burb ruubbu ruurb burbu buuuurb burb ruubbu
rubbu burbu ruuuurru rrr ruubr ruuurr ruuubr ruubb uuurb ruuuurb rurb buurru burbu ruub rrru
uuurru ruru buubbu ruurbu ubru rub ruuuubbu buuurru burru ruurr ruubb ruuuru
rubru uurbu buuuubbu buuu burbu ruuurb buubb ruuurr ruuub ruubb ruuurru rubbu ruuubbu
ruuuurb uuurru ruru buubbu bubru ubru rur ruuuubr buurbu ubru ruubbu burr
ruuurr brru brr ruuubb ruuuubbu buubb rr buuur ruur ruubb ruuurr buuubr burbu
ruuuurb buuuubb uurb buubu ruuurru uubr
bubbu rrru uuubbu rurru bbr buubr ruuuubru ruuurr brru urr buubb ruuurr ruuub ruubb
burb rubr burbu buuurru ruuuubru ruuurr brru ruuubb ruuuubbu buubb ruubu burb ruuurr buuurb
ruubb ruuurr buuubr

MUSIC:
Cassini's Theme
Don M

Don M's Newsletter

Space
Guytare

Guytare's Newsletter

Genre: Jazz (Jazz Fusion)
Hometown: Quebec, Canada

Getting into Trouble

2006-01-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

Nobody WANTS to end up in the brig!
(image from star-trek-virtual.tripod.com)

(click for podcast)

http://www.cuswe.org/
The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia at theForce.net has many references to detentions and jailing - here are a few:

AA-23

designation of the detention block on the first Death Star used to imprison Princess Leia. It was located on Level 5. (SW)

Axxila

Han Solo once described this world as "Coruscant turned inside (sic) and made into a jail where the inmates are in control." Sate Pestage fled here, after he lost control of the Ciutric Hegemony. He tried to make a deal with Leia Organa that would turn Coruscant over to the New Republic in exchange for his freedom, but Ysanne Isard had other plans. She dispatched Admiral Krennel to subjugate the planet, wiping out many of the planet's civilians for harboring Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Rogue Squadron. The vast majority of the populace was unaware of the presence of the New Republic on their world, and died for no apparent reason. (XWM, IR)

Cyberlock

a robotic lock often used on detention cells. (JS)

Damorind Securities

this corporation produced large detention devices such as force cages. (GG10)

Detention Task Force

this study group was formed within the Corporate Sector Authority to analyze the costs and methods of imprisonment in various Authority and Imperial prison facilities. They determined that the New Order would likely lead to rebellion, and that a new breed of prison would be required to maintain larger numbers of criminals. They proposed the Stars' End project, and were involved in the initial design. The conclusion of the task force was that criminals could be stored in stasis booths, maintained in suspended animation until their sentences were up. This cut down on most operational costs - like food, clothing, and accommodations - while ensuring the safety of the prisoners. (CSA)

Detention Task Force

this study group was formed within the Corporate Sector Authority to analyze the costs and methods of imprisonment in various Authority and Imperial prison facilities. They determined that the New Order would likely lead to rebellion, and that a new breed of prison would be required to maintain larger numbers of criminals. They proposed the Stars' End project, and were involved in the initial design. The conclusion of the task force was that criminals could be stored in stasis booths, maintained in suspended animation until their sentences were up. This cut down on most operational costs - like food, clothing, and accommodations - while ensuring the safety of the prisoners. (CSA)

Detention Task Force

this study group was formed within the Corporate Sector Authority to analyze the costs and methods of imprisonment in various Authority and Imperial prison facilities. They determined that the New Order would likely lead to rebellion, and that a new breed of prison would be required to maintain larger numbers of criminals. They proposed the Stars' End project, and were involved in the initial design. The conclusion of the task force was that criminals could be stored in stasis booths, maintained in suspended animation until their sentences were up. This cut down on most operational costs - like food, clothing, and accommodations - while ensuring the safety of the prisoners. (CSA)

Drago

the Alliance shuttle which went to Stars' End to rescue a group of prisoners of war. It captured the Imperial freighter Genue as it was delivering the prisoners to the detention center there. (XW)

Goshyn Detention Center

a prison facility, Goshyn was located on a remote asteroid, and was maintained throughout the reign of Emperor Palpatine. (TTSB)

Norba

Cabrool Nuum's daughter, she had almost as many aspirations as her devious brother, Rusk. When Rusk imprisoned Jabba the Hutt, Norba released the crimelord so that he could kill Rusk. She threw Jabba in jail for murder, but explained that she would set him free if Jabba agreed to kill Vu Chusker. Jabba, however, didn't want to be subservient to any of the Nuum clan, and so he ate Norba. (JTH)

Prison

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.

Prison is one of several forms of punishment, where an individual is shut up against his will, after committing a crime. Prisons aboard starships and starbases are known as brigs, which are typically used as short-term prisons, or for the containment of unprocessed fugitives.

Klingon philosophy indicates that, if taken prisoner, a Klingon would rather kill themselves rather than be held prisoner, unless there are enemies to fight or hope of escape. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

A few troubled words....

[Hutt]
Bona nai kachu.

You're in trouble now.

[Bocce]
Meetix goyatoixee he manux ii mediizal

I want the collision insurance and medical coverage.

Jeza goz dobo upinahex colax!

Move aside and stop hogging the space lane!

Kazz ma kazz.

I have insurance.

Zat x'ratch keezo bompaz ha sheep.

That scratch was there when I rented the ship.

[Klingon]

pIch vIghajbe'

It's not my fault!

bIghHa'Daq yIghoS

Go to jail!

DaH HIjol

Beam me up NOW!

[Mandalorian / Mando'a]

fierfek

@!#$%!

di'kut

jerk! bastard!

And from Karen Traviss - Useful phrases to try when you're nicked for speeding in downtown Keldabe. (Karen is the author of the Star Wars books Hard Contact, and forthcoming Triple Zero. Be sure to pick them up! AND her other books in the Wess'har series.)

I've got a tool "mando" online and downloadable, at http://mando.mrklingon.org that (for now) only includes words from Hard Contact. As time goes by I hope to add more - if YOU buy the next books from Karen, I'm sure you can add to your copy of the lexicon! (Then you too will know why it is fun to be a Xenolinguist!)

Background music from: F-Fact, Frank Leering of the Netherlands.

Tune: Walk on Water

Jedus' bon

2006-01-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

http://www.jaars.org/gullah_nt_completion.shtml

Music from Aunt Pearlie-Sue

http://www.midwestworldfest.org/gullah/frames/2_a_prather.html

A Glossary of Gullah Words

http://www.knowitall.org/gullahnet/

http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_language.asp?code=GUL

Population	125,000 speakers (1977 I. Hancock), including 7,000 to 10,000 monolinguals, and 10,000 in New York City (1989 J. Holm).
Region	Coastal region from Jacksonville, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida, and especially on the Sea Islands off the Georgia coast. Small clusters in New York City and Detroit.
Alternate names	GULLAH, GEECHEE
Dialects	NORTHEAST FLORIDA COAST, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.
Classification	Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Northern.
Comments	Intelligibility with other English based creoles is undetermined. Very close to Bahamas Creole and Afro-Seminole. 90% lexical similarity with Afro-Seminole. In limited contact with English, and barely understandable with Standard English. Government bilingual education program begun. Vigorous. Linguistic influences from Fula, Mende, upper Guinea coast, Gambia River area (I. Hancock 1987). Scholars have been predicting its demise for 100 years (W. Stewart). Investigation needed: intelligibility with Bahamas Creole, Afro-Seminole. Dictionary. Literacy rate in first language: 1% to 5%. Literacy rate in second language: 75% to 100%. Swamps, coastal plains. Agriculturalists: rice, cotton. Bible portions 1994.

http://www.islandpacket.com/man/gullah/language.html

The language of the Sea Islands

SPECIAL TO THE PACKET
"Mus tek cyear a de root fa heal de tree." - Gullah proverb [You need to take care of the root in order to heal the tree.]

The origin of the Gullah language is as unique as the cadence and rhythm of its sound. Slaves from the Sea Islands of South Carolina and northern Georgia were brought to America largely from different communities on the Rice Coast of West Africa. Therefore many spoke similar but distinctive languages, and in order to communicate with each other and with their owners, they combined the similarities with the English they learned to form the unique Gullah language. This process of combining different languages is called "creolization."

For years, linguists referred to the Gullah, or Geechee, language as a dialect of standard English. But in the 1940s, as African-American linguist Lorenzo Turner researched African languages, it became apparent that Gullah did indeed have its roots in Africa. According to Turner, the most noted similarities between Gullah and the languages spoken in West Africa include the use of nouns, pronouns, verbs, and tense. Almost all Gullah nouns are singular, and no distinction is made between singular or plural verbs either. These charactertistics are the same in many African languages. Also, Gullah and various African languages rarely account for when something actually happened - the present verb tense is also often used to refer to the past.

Here are a few Gullah words with African origins. The language or country of origin is listed in parentheses whenever possible:

[Taken from "The Water Brought Us," by Muriel Miller Branch]

A'min - Amen (Wolof)
be - to cultivate, to clean, to remove debris (Temme)
bid', bidi - small bird, small chicken (Kongo)
buckra - white man (Ibidio)
da (dada) - mother, nurse, or elder woman (Ewe)
dash away - to get rid of a bad habit
dayclean - dawn
de - to be (Igbo)
differ - a quarrel
e - pronoun for he, she, it
eh - yes (Igbo)
fanner - a large shallow basket made of wild grass and palmetto, used to thresh rice from its hull.
hudu - to cause bad luck to someone (Via)
kuta - tortoise, turtle (Mende)
nyam, nam - to eat
nanse - spider (Temme)
nana - elderly woman, grandmother (Twi)
oona, hoona - you, singular or plural, from the word "ona," meaning one or a single person
plat-eye - a prowling ghost or evil spirit
shut mout' - secretive or withdrawn
tata - father (Kongo)
tote - to pick up (Kongo)
toti frog - frog (Via)
uni - you, your (Ibo)
yam - sweet potato (Mende)

Another striking similarity between Gullah and the languages of West Africa is the use of proverbs to teach and advise.
"Take no more on your heels than you can kick off with your toes."
"Every grin teeth don't mean laugh."
"Day is jes an arm long, you can reach clean across it."

Christmas on Barsoom!

2005-12-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)

I've found a great site dedicated to a planned Barsoom movie:

And better yet, on that site I found a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Festivus present - an audio adaption of A Princess of Mars - I'm making an Audio CD of it with some artwork to give as gifts:

Here's a wonderful adaption of Burroughs "A Princess of Mars"
http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/princess_of_mars.cfm

Though I don't think it is apparent listening to it, this audio book is abridged into "special english", a simplified version of the English language used by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America in daily broadcasts. It is read a bit slowly, using a limited vocabulary and simplified grammar. There is a short pause between adjacent words so that word boundaries are easily discerned. The intended audience of Special English are people who have studied English in school, but do not speak it in daily usage.

The "Bible in Basic English" is a similar restricted English product:

See the Christmas story in BBE
here

Click for Barsoomian vocabulary.

Music: Cagey House creates ethereal yet dangerous electronic music.
"Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists"

Artist Frank E. Schoonover created five pictures for the book, as well as its cover. One of the images, reproduced (with some color changes) , is called "Battle With White Apes." The original oil painting measures 86 centimeters by 60 centimeters. It hangs in the Free Library of Philadelphia.

A Trip to Memory Alpha!

2005-12-17T06:42:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast)
Memory Alpha is a planetoid, located in Federation space, on which the Federation's largest library is located. The library is a central repository for the collected scientific, historical, and cultural information from each member planet of the Federation.

Memory Alpha's crew complement varies over time depending on the librarians, researchers and other people serving in the colony.

Memory Alpha is also a great Wiki - http://www.memory-alpha.org
and is a repository of all canonical Star Trek information. Thanks to Steven Boozer reminding me of it last week!

It is of interest in Xenolinguistics because of this article:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Language

Countless different spoken, written, and gestural languages are used by different cultures throughout space. Generally, the universal translator is able to surmount the language barrier between different groups, allowing interstellar society to exist. It is not always successful, however.

Languages

Axanar
Bajoran language family
- Ancient Bajoran
- Modern Bajoran
Cardassian
Denobulan
Dominionese
Ferengi
Giamon
Haliian
Human languages
- English
- French
- Greek
- Latin
- Russian
- Sign language
- Spanish
- Swahili
- Swedish
Iconian language family
- Dewan
- Dinasian
- Iccobar
Jaradan
Klingon
Kobali
Kreetassan
Kriosian
Menk
Risan
Romulan
Stroyerian
Tamarian
Tak Tak
Trill
Valakian
Vulcan
Whale song
Xindi-Aquatic
Xindi-Insectoid

A Few Words with the Ca'non Master

2005-12-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

(click image for interview notes)
(click for podcast)

An email interview with Voragh, aka Steven Boozer, the Ca'Non Master of the Klingons.

[Ack - I misspoke. Call it a think-o. My sound problem is a 60 CYCLE hum, not 60 mhz. - d'oh]

Klingon Sources
The Klingon Institute www.kli.org
KLI mailing list
Klingon Word of the Day mailing list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kwotd/

qIb HeHDaq On The Edge of The Galaxy

Vulcan Sources
alt.startrek.surak alt.startrek.vulcan
Marketa Zvelebil's website

MrKlingon's online Dictionary

Romulan Sources
MrKlingon's online Dictionary

Music:
clip from Klingons Do Not Faint

from the

Louis Gentile Experience

http://www.garageband.com/artist/lou_gentile_experience

I Wonder from Natalie Brown - http://www.garageband.com/artist/nataliebrown

Celestial Season's Greetings?

2005-12-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

(click for podcast )

How do you say "Merry Christmas" to an alien?

QISmaS petIv!

The first word QISmaS is an attempt to transliterate "Christmas" into a Klingon spelling. After all, we don't translate "Christmas" into English - it's a word composed of Greek and Latin parts. It seems reasonable for Klingons to adopt this term to denote the celebration. The second word, petIv, is an imperative "all-of-you-enjoy-it!" You may decide to soften this with "botIvjaj" "may-you-enjoy-it" - or if you celebrate Christmas too, you could say QISmaS wItIvjaj "may we enjoy Christmas!"

toDwI'ma' qoS yItIv!

This is a phrase to indicate you, too, celebrate Jesus's birth. Literally "our-saviour's-birthday you-enjoy-it." Note here I said "yItIv," which is the singular "you" command "enjoy". You could also, as I noted earlier, say petIv or botIvjaj.

Stretching things a bit- some terms from the http://GalacticPhraseBook.MrKlingon.org
You can guess at the pronounciation - I've no guess for most of these - and take on Christmas to form your own greeting:

Thees
Good. [Ewok]

menkha

 well, good, correct, satisfactory. [Romulan]

ps
good  [Ferengi]

Drik
adj.   Happy. [Ewok]

Quch
be happy[Klingon]

is
happiness/happy  [F]

Briikase

 Happy [Mandalorian / Mando'a]

----------------

A lovely song as we approach Christmas - music is truly a universal language!

"Stille Nacht" / "Silent Night" / tam ram

http://www.garageband.com/artist/karen_stachel

[This audio was re-edited to get out some of the noise from the original]

Anti-Cryptography!

2005-11-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

(click here for podcast)

Anticryptography:

The Next Frontier in Computer Science

How Would You Teach Another Civilization to Recognize this Language?

Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations
By Brian McConnell.

Great historical intro:

Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing

Simon Singh
Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptograph

CRYPTO FUN!:

http://cryptograms.ca - home page.

Literary Cryptograms - http://books.mirror.org/litcrypt/

Yahoo has a great list of Cryptogram related resources.

There are a number of syndicated puzzles, too, for example:

Click on "CryptoGram."

"In the Hands" - Paul Cantrell

Paul's a member of PodcastMN.com
(so is Progamming in Tongues).

Travel Plans!

2005-11-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

click here for podcast

Proof Klingon is a REAL language - educational materials.

In print:

	Klingon Dictionary Marc Okrand, Dave Stern (Editor)

	Klingon for the Galactic Traveler Marc Okrand

Maybe available from Amazon:

Review from http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue22/game.html
tar Trek: Klingon is a game within a game. It purports to be a Holodeck program hosted by Gowron, leader of the Klingon High Council, and aimed at teaching Klingon culture. In the simulation, players take on the role of Pok, a Klingon youth about to pass his Rite of Accession. It begins at a party for Pok where his friends and family have gathered. For the most part the game runs continuously, like a television program, with the difference that often the characters look right at the camera and speak to "you" (Pok). Then every few minutes a Decision Point is reached, the action pauses and players must react as honor and the situation demand.

[Includes the no longer available audio program, "Power Klingon"]

Not available as cassettes, but at iTunes and Audible.com

Kliflash For Windows (ver 1.1)

Kliflash is a computer-based Klingon vocabulary drill application. It contains the entire known Klingon word list, and uses proven teaching techniques to help make learning easier. Kliflash has been tested and used for several years by members of the Klingon language community, and has been fine-tuned and enriched by their suggestions.

Kliflash For Windows is the latest version of the application, and follows the DOS-based Kliflash version 5.1. It can be used on any computer running Windows 95/98/2000/XP; a color printer is recommended but not required. Besides moving to the Windows environment, Kliflash For Windows, version 1.1, updates the word database through November, 2002. As always, users of a prior version of Kliflash can update their wordlists without losing any of their current progress scores, personal lists or notes.

Far simpler study - a *very* basic VB 3 program:

Language Scout - Klingon Learning Resource for Windows

WordNewsMashup.com RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldnewsmashup
And now a word from the Disassociated Press:

Now a word from the Cats....

2005-11-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

Click here for Podcast

The Babel Text

The Babel Text is an evolving database comparing how different languages, natural and artificial, can be used to translate the same passage.

Another purpose of The Babel Text is to encourage designers of model languages to demonstrate how those languages would actually be used in sustained discourse. Most langmakers (myself included) do not provide much text actually written in their language. It is hoped that The Babel Text will become a standard document for model-language designers to translate into their languages.

Thanks to Chris Bouchard for permission to use his music as heard on the Star Wars: Revelations soundtrack

From Langmaker.com:

Detailed in C.J. Cherryh's "Chanur" series, Hani has a phonology fit for lions and inspired by the sounds the author's cats made.
Uniqueness	It has a phonology fit for lions.
Language Sources	CJ Cherryh derived the phonology and a few words from the sounds her cats made. Her few sentences were expanded into the work shown on the web pages.

This is G o o g l e's cache of http://randyb.byu.edu/alioth/hanbab.html as retrieved on Apr 5, 2005 01:40:25 GMT:

Babel text for the Hani language

( CJ Cherryh's home page)

Within this translation, the hyphen (-) is used to show the morphemic boundaries. It is not in common usage to add them in either the Hani script or the standard romanization of the Hani language. Below each verse there is a morpheme for morpheme translation. Brackets ([]) are used to indicate where the Hani word boundaries fall and slashes (/) indicate the morpheme boundaries within the 'word.'

1h. Fai-shukh-aarn nai-Terra lin-aarn hen-fhaif chuch hen-fhaan.

1e. [prep/all/adj.] [s/Earth] [one/adj] [3psa/language] and [3psa/speech].

2h. Viarr, ri nai-neg shaih-hiuman-aa-im fai-rrach-haur hen-bek, ri nai-hen-aa fai-kah-gfaan Shinar-im hen-chuj-m'ha shiah-nab chuch hen-mosh-m'ha chai-nup.

2e. As, [past] [s/group] [a/human/plural/of] [prep/east/from] [3psa/journey], past [s/3p/pl] [prep/land/in] [Shinar/of] [3psa/find/3poa] [a/plane] and [3psa/dwell/3poa] [d.o./there].

3h. Ri nai-hen-aa hen-rukh-m'ha kha chai-laam, "Re nai-mur m'chaun-m'ha chai-shir-aa chuch shaohsh-aarn mur-khaumsam'ha chai-hen-aa." Nai-hen-aa chai-turr-aa-viarr hen-shiarr-m'ha chai-shir-aa chuch chai-orr-chup-viarr hen-shiarr-m'ha chai-ull.

3e. [past] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/say/3poa/reflexive] [d.o./this] [imperative] [s/1p] [1psa/make/3poa] [d.o./brick/pl] and [complete/adj] [1psa/fire/3poa] [D.O/3p/pl] [s/3p/pl] [prep/stone/pl/as] [3psa/use/3poa] [d.o./brick/pl] and [d.o./solid/oil/as] [3psa/use/3doa] [d.o/morter].

4h. Ri nai-hen-aa hen-rukh-m'ha chai-laam, "Re nai-mur mur-chi mur-chaul-m'ha chai-jiahn chuch chai-naukh tai-faat hauitia nai-mur fai-kuut-aa-khe hen-bog-m'ha; re nai-mur mur-chi mur-gaif-m'ha chai-llauhn uukh haatia khai-mur-aa kurr-aarn fai-nekhrhof fai-terra-im mur'rrib.

4e. [past] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/say/3pd.o.a] [d.o./this] [imperative] [s/1p/pl] [1p/for] [1psa/build/3poa] [d.o./city] and [d.o./tower] [possessive/relative clause marker] [future/desire/affirmative] [3psa/top] [d.o./heaven/pl] [s3pa/reach/d.o.a]; [imperative] [s/1p] [1p/for] [1psa/make/d.o.a] [d.o./name] so [not/affirm] [passive/1p/pl] [away/adj] [prep/surface/on] [prep/Earth/of] [1psa/scatter].

5e. Ri Na nai-Rraohm hen-raos uukh nai-hen h'-gfirr-m'ha chai-jiahn chuch chai-naukh, chai-faat ri-rait fai-hiuman-im nai-chaach-aa hen-chauul-m'ha.

5h. [past] Lord [s/God] [3psa/descend] so [s/3p] [3psa/see/d.o.a] [d.o./city] and [d.o./tower] [d.o./relativiser] [past/anterior] [prep/human/of] [s/child/pl] [3psa/build/d.o.a].

6e. Ri na nai-Rraohm hen-rukh-m'ha chai-laam, "fai-shukh-aarn nai-hiuman-aa hen-chan chuch hen-fhiaf; haa-hau-ro-tia khai-haamrhaohch, chai-faat ri-rait nai-hen-aa h'-siaj-m'ha, hen-haurr h'-mia-naohs-m'ha.

6h. [past] Lord [s/God] [3psa/say/d.o.a] [d.o./this] [prep/all/adj] [s/humam/pl] [3psa/unite] and [3psa/language]; [neg/fut/det/aff] [passive/nothing], [d.o./relative clause maker] [past/anterior] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/imagine/d.o.a] [3p/from] [3psa/away/hold/d.o.a].

7h. "Re nai-mur-aa m'-raos chuch nu-paarn mur-kaf-m'ha tai-hen chai-fhiaf, uukh haa-hau-ro-tia nai-hen-aa h'-rhaarn-m'ha tai-ges chai-fhaan."

7e [imp] [s/1p/pl] [1psa/descend] and [there/adj] [1psa/confuse/d.o.a] [possessive/3p] [d.o./language] so [neg/fut/det/aff] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/understand/d.o.a] [possessive/other] [d.o./speech].

8h. Uukh, ri Na nai-Rraohm kurr-aarn fai-nekhrh-of fai-terra-im mur-'-rrib-m'ha chai-hen-aa: chuch ri nai-hen-aa h'-llaig-m'ha fai-jiahn-im chai-chaul.

8e. So, [past] Lord [s/God] [away/adj] [prep/surface/on] [prep/Earth/of] [3psa/this appostrophe is for the Roman alphabet; it's not needed in the Hani script;1 r and 2r's are separate letters in Hani/scatter/d.o.a] [d.o./3p/pl] and [past] [s/3p/pl] [3psa/stop/d.o.a] [prep/city/of] [d.o./build].

9h. Rhau, ri khai-Babel, nai-faat hen'-sem-m'ha chai-kaf, nai-hen h'-pukh-m'ha; rrum ri Na nai-Rraohm shukh-aarn fai-terra-im hem-kaf-m'ha chai-fhiat: chuch ri Na nai-Rraom kurr-aarn fai-nekhrh-of fai-terra-im hem'-rrib-m'ha chai-hen-aa.

9e. Therefore, [past] [passive/Babel], [s/relative clause marker] [3psa/mean/d.o.a] [d.o./confuse], [s/3p] [3psa/call/d.o.a]; because [past] Lord [s/God] [all/adj] [prep/Earth/of] [3psa/confuse/d.o.a] [d.o./language] and [past] Lord [s/God] [away/adj] [prep/surface/on] [prep/Earth/of] [3psa/scatter/d.o.a] [d.o./3p/pl.]

Do it yourself movies!

A Fan-made StarWars movie!

MORE LATIN!

SWISS UPDATE:

Remember my "Swiss?" Ala Karen Traviss's hero's all purpose tool?

I'v found you can go FURTHER!!

Thanks to QEMU
you can put a full Linux computer install on a flash drive!

See? (this is running on an XP system - oh, and look, it shows a picture of ME!)

Father of All

2005-10-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

click here for podcast

There is no end of fantastic, constructed languages, and wonderful stories written around them. But no constructed language fan - particularly no computer-literate conlanger - can afford to be ignorant about the wonderful tools and information available with computers about Tolkien and his languages.

The picture above is the box for the audio-cassette version of the excellent BBC adaption of the Lord of the Rings. Hearing the voices, hearing elven words and names through this is a wonderful way to experience the reality Tolkien created in his work. Since I walk a mile every day to the bus, spending a week listening to this while walking and going to work really feels like I've walked from the Shire and on to Mordor. A wonderful adaption, and far more faithful to the books than the (excellent!) Jackson films. This makes a nice complement - listening with the mental pictures from the movies

For years people all over the world admire the great work of professor Tolkien's fantasy world. His genius talent gave us all not only a nice novell, but a whole universe with history, legends, wars, poetry and much more. Languages spoken by peoples of Middle Earth have also their written form. Quenya, Sindarin and other languages used Tengwar. There are many pages about the alphabet itself on the web. Of course sooner or later someone came with the idea of transcription software. YaTT: Yet Another Tengwar Tool

Dragon Flame

Dragon Flame is a freeware application for Microsoft Windows (98, Me, XP, NT4, 2000), now also available on Linux. it includes the Sindarin dictionary, additional lexicons and a complete Sindarin corpus. This website http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/df20.html includes an online lookup tool.

Ardalambion

the Ardalambion is a great collection of information and links about the Tolkien languages.

The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship

LOTR Radio - the one podcast to rule them all.

Grey Elven - derivative (not directly from Tolkien)

On the Horizon

2005-10-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

podcast

A new language - could be a solid competitor to other developed SF languages. The first "official" SF media language for a long time. [aggh - "thinko" alert. Early in the podcast I refer to "Republic Command: Hard Contact" as "Rebel Commando" - NOT quite, but you'll hear the correct name later as I read from Karen Traviss's letter.]

Official LucasArts Mandalorian music and lyrics
(mouse over "navigate," then find "Downloads" and click on MP3s)

Karen Traviss - Home page
Tremendous amount about this very gracious author. You can find links to her personal blog, and her official Star Wars blog. Both contain, if you dig, a good amount of background on her developing the Mando'a language.

Karen provides this, in particular about Hard Contact:

Read an excerpt

Read the reviews

Want to hear the background to Republic Commando: Hard Contact? There's an interview on STAR WARS EN DIRECT radio from Quebec. There 's also an interview with me online at the official Star Wars site and a couple more at the unofficial Clone Wars site.

All about Mandalorians Not entirely canonical, but a good compilation of info

Mandalorian language from Hard Contact at SWlanguages.mrklingon.org

COMING soon (but not soon enough)

The sequel to Hard Contact - REPUBLIC COMMANDO: TRIPLE ZERO - will be out on February 28 2006. Check out the site.

Looking for new words or phrases? WORDSPY.com

I can eat glass!

2005-10-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

podcast

Notes from Lessons.MrKlingon.org....

Why Make Up Languages?

Lots of reasons! Here are only a few:

Linguistic research
Artificial intelligence
International Communciation
Psychiatry
Secret Languages
Fiction and Art

Ergane 8.0

What is Ergane?

Ergane's user interface and manual are available in three languages: English, Esperanto and Dutch. The user interface alone is also available in Spanish.

The I Can Eat Glass Project

Some years ago, one Ethan Mollick created the I Can Eat Glass Project, which he described thus:

The Project is based on the idea that people in a foreign country have an irresistable urge to try to say something in the indigenous tongue. In most cases, however, the best a person can do is "Where is the bathroom?" a phrase that marks them as a tourist. But, if one says "I can eat glass, it doesn't hurt me," you will be viewed as an insane native, and treated with dignity and respect.

Getting started with Klingon:

tlhIngan Hol	pronounciation	English
*nuqneH?*	nook-neck	Hello (literally, what do you want?)
*Qapla'*	kkhopla-uh	Goodbye (literally, Success!)
*nuqjatlh?*	nook-jatl	Hunh? (literally, what did you say?)

Barsoom!

2005-09-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

podcast

Before Star Wars or Trek.

Before WWII And WWI.

An interplanetary series of stories, with aliens, swords and ray guns that inspired generations of SF enthusiasts. And, OF COURSE it included alien languages!

Travelers need new words, but borrow the old:

At ABBA, Go Left to SpongeBob

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Barsoomian

The Language Of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars

http://erbatlas.virtualave.net/index.shtml maps of Mars(Barsoom) and more

CONJECTURES ON EVOLUTION
OF A COMMON LANGUAGE

AND YES, the Galactic Phrasebook now includes BARSOOM!

Swiss Wiki on a Stick!

2005-09-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

Podcast

First pass on making a language: http://bajoran.mrklingon.org

An example of playing around with a language that didn't exist, using a Kwiki Wiki to organize my language development.

Summer 2003 project to construct rudimentary Bajoran language.

Frequency of each vowel:
' 6
a 97
e 44
i 19
o 30
u 10
y 7

Consonant frequencies.

b 11
c 5
d 12
f 1
g 3
h 17
j 6
k 25
l 26
m 17
n 34
p 16
r 43
s 24
t 26
v 9
w 2

Using Wiki's - TiddlyWiki is a way to right down and organize your life. Or try "Kwiki" at http://www.kwiki.org/

Doctor Floyd promo - finally!

Making my Swiss!

(what the heck is a Swiss? Read Karen Traviss!!

http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/Ansible/a201.html )

Karen Traviss is shocked, shocked, shocked by the 17 March announcement of Swiss Army knives with USB memory-stick `blades', as predicted in her sf novel City of Pearl. Just like Arthur C.Clarke with geosynchronous satellites, she failed to secure the patent. I wonder whether any sf satirist foretold the other amazing innovation revealed in the same news item: Swiss Army knives for air travellers, with no blades.

Now... you *could* buy one (http://www.swissbit.com/)

But, that's no fun - how do you make one?:

First you need a knife: http://www.victorinox.com/newsite/en/produkte/
http://www.swiss-knife.com/

(I'm using a tiny one - my daughter had a spare and gave it to me; I actually have two or three other big ones; I ALWAYS want one with a scissors!)

NEXT you need memory - I got one of these at http://nanosys1.com

Go get one of these (I'm assuming you use Firefox - if not, forget it, stick with The World in One FILE ) http://tiddlywiki.com/

TiddlyWiki is a single, self-contained html file, like a web page. It is like a blog, but each entry is like a little index card, called a tiddler. Before I really lose you, this is what it looks like. Each entry in the center of the screen is a tiddler. Go play around with it, close and open some tiddlers. Your changes wont affect the website once you reload or leave it.

Load it up with all the tools you want or need:

SSH, Firefox, Bible references, netcat, the works:

And still there's plenty of room for more!

Finished project - Homebrew "Swiss":

Paging Mr. Webster!

2005-09-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

podcast version

Building vocabularies

Lexter - an experiment in dictionary building:

Creating word lists:

the Romulan Way - includes Romulan vocabulary

Diplomatic Implausibility - and others include Klingon Vocabulary

Keith R. A. DeCandido

Generating texts

On Inventing a Romulan Language for the ST Novels

from Diane Duane's web page

Online "message" from Romulus
Click on this message - refresh window for new text.

UTA Lite - simple translator/vocabulary generator
Do it yourself!

My Odeo Channel (odeo/4d2acbe46bc378bc)

A Paper Skiff

2005-09-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Podcast

Build your own spaceship today!

MrKlingon checking out his spaceship:

A catalog of "Spaceship terms" in alien languages:

Eedada huutaveet - spaceship [Ewok]

Pankpa - Spaceship. [Hutt]

Teesaw - Spaceship. Space Cruiser. [Hutt]

Zat x'ratch keezo bompaz ha sheep.
That scratch was there when I rented the ship. [Bocce]
'ejDo' starship, starship class[Klingon]

Duj ship, vessel[Klingon]

ryZ enclosure (ship, bottle, container) [Ferengi]

skeebeetle spacecraft, spaceship [Gungan]

qfaqleo boat: boat/ship/vessel, vehicle for traveling on top of water [Vulcan]

khina ship, starship [Romulan]

rrhiet starship with warp capability [Romulan]

T'liss bird-of-prey starship [Romulan]

Remember Columbia -

a poster to commemorate her final flight.

Get ready to Take OFF - Build your own spaceship!

Learning a Sci-Fi language... LATIN?!?

Latin For Mountain Men

A short course in practical Latin

Manifold Space

Stephen Baxter

LATIN-ENGLISH
DICTIONARY PROGRAM

AND a full Latin / Engish text of the Bible:

batlh yInob!

2005-08-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is a quick note - no audio on this entry -

PLEASE consider a donation in relief for Hurricane Katrina. Support to organizations like the Red Cross or the Salvation Army will assist them not only in this current emergency, but it will help them prepare for the next one as well! batlh yInob! Give with honor!

 But this I say,
      He which soweth sparingly
           shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully
           shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart,
  so let him give;
not grudgingly,
  or of necessity:
                     for God loveth a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6,7

Just my Type!

2005-08-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

podcast here
More notes from the Star Wars front:

The Complete Wermo's Guide
to Huttese

Type like a Hutt or Borg:

Tommy of Escondido's Alien Fonts Page

How to write in Klingon

The official Klingon Language Institute Font can be purchased here

I like Chinese!!

...which is all about the science fiction show Firefly. Here you will find features, news, reviews, interview, chat, and anything else we can think of relating to Firefly. If you don't know anything about podcasting, don't worry, you can just download the individual MP3 files and then figure out all the podcasting stuff later. Go ahead and listen to - THE SIGNAL.

Hear the Intro | Hear the Promo | Crew Page

AND... for Humans of planet earth:

SIL International presents…

An encyclopedic reference work cataloging all of the world’s 6,912 known living languages

Here's a book I just bought - a devotional in Hebrew and Greek:

More Light on the Path: Daily Scripture Readings in Hebrew and Greek

David W. Baker, Elaine A. Heath, Morven Baker

I expect to use this tool - an EXCELLENT way to access the original texts of the Bible - to help me make use of the book - http://www.scripture4all.org/

Sci-Fi History and Linguistic Goldmine!

2005-08-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

podcast

Information about "Constructed Languages" from WikiPedia

Here is THE place for what seems like a limitless supply of "conlangs" (constructed languages):

http://www.langmaker.com

Sturgeons' Law Podcast home
RSS

Here's a link to the Langmaker page on Pakuni

I've incorporated this into my UTA web forms at MrKlingon.org:
You can also "translate" into/out of Pakuni:

UTA translations English <-> Pakuni

Count on Me!

2005-08-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

Podcast
Using alien numbers. The Klingon number game "wa' cha' wa'maH" - how to be fluent in Ewok!

Learn the rules of wa' cha' wa'maH Here

Play a game? Click here to learn and play the ancient Klingon game

wa' cha' wa'maH wa' cha' wa'maH for Windows 3.1

wa' cha' wa'maH for Win95 (or XP, etc.)

Saying Hello

2005-08-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today's Podcast - How to say hello to a Hutt! Getting started writing programs.

Universal Translator Assistant - one of my oldest programs

SWLANG - one of my newer VB programs - lean interface for cataloging Star Wars phrases.

The best (and only) book on Star Wars languages! It really is good, and fun!

Wikipedia article on Languages in Star Wars

Xenolinguistics, Computers and YOU!

2005-08-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Programming in Tongues - the new podcast of the Universal Translator Assistant Project.

Today's post - Some of the Who, What and Why of alien languages. Plus - how do you say "have a nice day" to a Klingon?

Programming in Tongues

Kaltxi! New Words from a New World!

Back to the Shipyards.....

Your Plastic Pal Who's Fun to Be With

BEAM robotics

Boing Boing tv: Tanks-A-Lot / Mark's Vibrobot

Action!

Empire!

Hacking Your Way Into Space!

How to hack your way into space

Play / Download (help)

The Wheel Turns

Attention all Wermos!

Back to the Cantina!

Taking Leave!

zha riest'n, Mr. Ford!

Remember!

A BIBLE for Boba?

The Mando'a Language Version of the World English Bible

Why A Mando'a Bible?

1632 and all that!

Prologue

Star Wars on Trial!

The MiitKad Project

New Worlds and Old

Jennifer's Language Page!

Completely Unofficial

Surfing the Waves!

New Horizons!

Space Settlements

spreading life throughout the solar system

BASIC-ly speaking.....

Being the Alien

What if there aren't any Words?

Incoming!!

Thinking Positive!

Just Saying NO

Ergane 8.0

What is Ergane?

On-line version

MUSIC:

Killik

Getting into Trouble

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.

Jedus' bon

The language of the Sea Islands

Christmas on Barsoom!

A Trip to Memory Alpha!

Languages

See also

A Few Words with the Ca'non Master

Celestial Season's Greetings?

Anti-Cryptography!

How Would You Teach Another Civilization to Recognize this Language?

Travel Plans!

Kliflash For Windows (ver 1.1)

Now a word from the Cats....

This is G o o g l e's cache of http://randyb.byu.edu/alioth/hanbab.html as retrieved on Apr 5, 2005 01:40:25 GMT:

Babel text for the Hani language

Father of All

the Ardalambion is a great collection of information and links about the Tolkien languages.

On the Horizon

I can eat glass!

What is Ergane?

Barsoom!

Project Gutenberg Free eBook Library

Choose among our 16,000 free ebooks in the Project Gutenberg Catalog

Swiss Wiki on a Stick!

Paging Mr. Webster!

A Paper Skiff

batlh yInob!

Just my Type!

Sci-Fi History and Linguistic Goldmine!

Count on Me!

Saying Hello

Xenolinguistics, Computers and YOU!