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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Best Sci-Fi Languages

Wired declares Klingon the king of sci-fi slang

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(Newser) – Creators of true geek art follow JRR Tolkien’s example and craft fictional languages to populate their worlds. Wired lists the best examples:

  1. Klingon. The Star Trek creation is the king of all sci-fi languages, with fully realized grammar and vocabulary.
  2. City Speak. Blade Runner’s vision of earth as a mishmash of Western and Eastern cultures was greatly enriched by this language, described as a “mixture of Japanese, Spanish, German, what have you.”

  1. R’lyehian. HP Lovecraft’s intended the language of elder god Cthulhu to be so bizarre that it would drive humans insane. Did he succeed? ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!
  2. Huttese. We hear only snippets of the native language of Jabba and his minions in Return of the Jedi, but Star Wars books and video games have greatly expanded on Hutt culture.
  3. Sindarin. Tolkien set the standard for fantasy and sci-fi writers.
Click the link for the complete list.

Jabba the Hutt is seen in this still shot from Return of the Jedi.
Jabba the Hutt is seen in this still shot from Return of the Jedi.   (Flickr)
Kevin Taylor shows his Klingon costume with Brett and Tailyn Jones 7, during the Comic-Con Convention July 24, 2004 in San Diego, California.
Kevin Taylor shows his Klingon costume with Brett and Tailyn Jones 7, during the Comic-Con Convention July 24, 2004 in San Diego, California.   (Getty Images)
This photo shows actors, from left, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Billy Boyd as Pippin and Sean Astin as Sam in New Line Cinema's
This photo shows actors, from left, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Billy Boyd as Pippin and Sean Astin as Sam in New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring."   (AP Photo/New Line Productions, Pierre Vinet)
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4 comments
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Bryanw55
Aug 26, 09 5:47 PM CDT
You're damaging my calm. Reply
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+2
offspringdude235
Aug 26, 09 6:01 PM CDT
Galactic basic anyone? Reply
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+1
Worthingtons-Law
Aug 26, 09 6:39 PM CDT
How dare the seductive speech of the Tusken Raider not make it. Reply
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+1
Tarantulas
Aug 27, 09 3:52 PM CDT
The title of the article is "Top 10 Geekiest Constructed Languages," not "Best Sci-Fi Languages." Tarantulas barada nikto. Reply
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