Caithlin Dar

[Nerys Myk]

I'm willing to bet more people were reading Dr Spock, than watching Mr Spock.

But that's just it: Other than Benjamin Spock, have you ever heard of anyone else on Earth with the name Spock? I've heard of tons of Caitlyns (or Katelyn, or Catelynn, or however you want to spell the name that sounds the same).

In recent times, yes. But in 1989, not really.

By the association with Benjamin Spock, most people would recognizes it as a human name. Caitlyn sounds made up or a combination of Kate and Lynn. Looking at a name site, it was pretty much non-existent prior to the 1970s.

 

[FormerLurker]

Caitlin is centuries old. It is the original Irish version of the name Kathleen. I've heard of it all my life, and I predate the '70s by a bit.

Oh, and my niece's name is Caitlin.

 

[USS Triumphant]

To those arguing: The point of what I linked to previously is that it wouldn't matter in the slightest if her name was Sally or Heather or Robert. The Romulans have biological speech apparatus that are approximately the same as ours, so the range of sounds they can make is approximately the same, and therefore it follows that some of our words and even some names will probably be the same sounds (but with different meanings and etymologies).

And then another possibility is that, just as many immigrants to the U.S. Anglicized their names upon arrival, our lovely Romulan ambassador decided to adopt a human name to use in dealing with the Federation. Did you really think the Visitor leader on the TV series 'V's birth name was 'John'?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Caitlin is centuries old. It is the original Irish version of the name Kathleen. I've heard of it all my life, and I predate the '70s by a bit.

Oh, and my niece's name is Caitlin.

I predate the 70s too and it wasn't a name I heard in that time. But I lived in 'Murica where it wasn't a common name. So its not "everyday sounding" where and when the film was made.

Still, my original point is Trek often used non English sounding names to give aliens an "exotic touch". Caithlin, Spock, Nerys and Kang are examples of this.

 

[Armored Saint]

Luke has an Earth name, but he's from Tatooine.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Luke has an Earth name, but he's from Tatooine.

No, people on Earth named Luke have a Tatooninish name.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Tour lovely Romulan ambassador decided to adopt a human name to use in dealing with the Federation.

Romulans are far too arrogant to ever do anything like that.

Did you really think the Visitor leader on the TV series 'V's birth name was 'John'?

The difference is, the Visitors flat-out SAID that they chose to adopt human names from Earth. With Dar, it's just guessing.

I prefer the simplest explanation, the one from the novelization: she has a human ancestor. Why make it more complicated than that?

 

[inflatabledalek]

It could be that her parents gave her an Earth name because they thought it sounded exotic and interesting, the way parents today will call their kids things like Apple without giving any thought whatsoever to the years of school bullying that will ensue.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Nah, the simple explanation is Caithlin Dar is a Romulan name.

Reminds me of the novelist who went through the hoop of saying "Valaris" was a Klingon name because it didn't fit the Vulcan naming pattern.

 

[C.E. Evans]

No one has any problems with Romulus (and therefore the Romulan race) being named after a Human mythical character? Ditto for the Vulcans?

There probably should be more Romulans with "Human-sounding" names, IMO. I remember reading an old TOS novel (I think written long before TNG debuted) in which a few Romulan characters had Roman-sounding names.

"Nero" would have fit in fine in that naming scheme...

 

[FormerLurker]

It was probably meant to.

As far as 'Murica' is concerned, a lot of it probably has to do with where one's family came from. My mother's side is Irish, so I'm familiar with the name Caitlin(our family spelling). Someone of German extraction is equally likely to be familiar with Kathrine. Though either or both might not be familiar with the other at all.

 

[CorporalClegg]

What's in a name?

I think this argument is a little silly. Ultimately, there are no Romulan or Klingon names. They're constructs created by human writers. If someone wants to use "Caitlin" as inspiration, who cares?

 

[Armored Saint]

Nah, the simple explanation is Caithlin Dar is a Romulan name.

Same thing for Valkris, the Klingon woman in STIII, despite it's really close to Valkyrie.

I TOS, we see a Klingon woman called Marla and an Orion girl named Marta.

 

[FormerLurker]

I remember a Klingon woman named Mara, but not Marla. Are you sure?

 

[Nerys Myk]

It was Mara. Maybe she's Jewish.

 

[PCz911]

She made a gorgeous Romulan woman.

Indeed! Not even cheesey costumes and over-the-top make-up could hide the fact that underneath it all was a stunner ...

Holy cow! She is smoking hot. Why did they hide her under all that piss poor hair and costume!?!?!

So, cynical person might say she was cast for her looks (which were covered up?) or perhaps the casting couch?
But, let's face it, stv was one of the worst movies in the start trek library. She's probably taken it off her imdb page.

 

[Armored Saint]

I remember a Klingon woman named Mara, but not Marla. Are you sure?

I was thinking to Mara McGivers.


Oh, and in TAS, there's a Klingon woman called Kali...the name of the Hindu goddess...so another human name....

 

[Nerys Myk]

To make a true alien name you need to use oddly placed capitals and apostrophes.

K'aL'i. Now that's alien!!!!!

 

[Armored Saint]

No one has any problems with Romulus (and therefore the Romulan race) being named after a Human mythical character? Ditto for the Vulcans?

Especially since the planet called Vulcan reminds a giant forge...

Romulans are so roman their starships look like eagles. The other space romans had their own Jesus. Vulcans are buddhist and Nimoy took the salut from Judaism. Should I pursue? Klingons has even dogs.

 

[C.E. Evans]