Klingon (was Re: T-Shirt)

Dan Jones wrote:
>
> Jörg Rhiemeier wrote:
>
> > 100% agreed.  None of them is better known to the general public than
> > Esperanto, sure, but it is pretty well known (at least among those who
> > take an interest in fantasy and science fiction) that Tolkien invented
> > languages and that the Klingon language exists.  These three classics
> > must not miss!
>
> Tolkien, yes. Esperanto, maybe. But please, not Klingon, please! I hate it,
> It's nonsensical and hideous. Enough of the rant, here's why I hate the damn
> thing:
>
> 1) the orthography. The weird phonology doesn't bother me much- it's not
> very likely mind you, but I hate the orthography.
> [comments on orthography snipped]
Yes, this SturdlyCaptializingOrthography[TM] stinks.  I'd prefer
a transliteration that avoids this.  But better print it in Klingon
letters (piqad), anyway.


> 2) OK, the phonology. It has too many holes in it. Why are the velars the
> only fricatives to make a voiced/voiceless distinction? Where are the velar
> stops? Come to think of it, where are the uvular fricatives? Why are there
> only dental affticates?
> [Klingon phoneme system snipped]
Yes, it is totally screwed.  Not to forget the bizarre distribution of
dental vs. retroflex consonants.

> 3) the lexicon. None of the words seem to have any relationship too each
> other, they appear to have been made up at random (I know they were, but
> this looks like it) like ghop and ruQ, which mean hand and manually,
> respectively. They bear no relation to each other or any other word.
Yes, this stinks.

> 4) urgh!
I don't like Klingon either.  But that's a matter of taste.

> Go dtóga na púcaí do bheithígh!
>                                       May the fairies take your livestock!
That's not nice, is it?

Jörg.