Anyone noticed this about the pronunciation of the Klingon language in this series?

It sounds almost identical to "The Undiscovered Country" and not like in TNG, DS9 and Enterprise.

 

Gee, I wonder what The Undiscovered Country and Discovery have in common? Or should I say, who?

 

That speaks to the quality of the Klingon language spoken in DSC. Marc Okrand, the linguist who greatly expanded the Klingon language for TSFS, coached the actors speaking in Klingon in TUC. He did the same for ST:ID.

Writers for the various TV series frequently came up with their own Klingon words that didn't even fit Okrand's orthography. Also, they tended to throw words together in an ungrammatical fashion that would be incomprehensible gibberish in "proper" Klingon. Okrand wasn't involved in the series until the last season of ENT. That's why much of the Klingon dialog in TNG through ENT sounds so wrong.

Edit: Also, DSC is similar to TMP in that, after all this waiting and lead-up to new Trek, the very first thing we see are funky-looking Klingons speaking their alien language.

Kor

 

This blew my mind in '79. After a year and half of thinking how could Star Trek ever be in the same class as Star Wars, this one scene did the trick for me.

But now I wish they would only speak Klingon when "heard" by other humanoids, and have them speak plain english (with an asterisk or something to remind us they are actually speaking Klingon) when they speak to each other so that they can communicate more than a few sentences. People that speak the same language don't hear thick accents or any accent other than when speaking different dialects. Having them speak Klingon with subtitles slows down the conversation precipitating the need to simplify and that makes them seem simple as a race.
In old films like 'All Quiet On the Western Front", the Germans spoke plain english to show they communicate freely in their own language, not with thick accents to remind viewers they are German. Same for 'Paths of Glory', a Kubrick film about the French in WW1. Kirk Douglas didn't speak with "zee accent" to remind us he's French, he spoke plain english to let the viewer know that foreign language speaking people don't trip over accents like its their second language.

 

I thought they were all speaking Lithuanian.

 

Yeah, I noticed it, it sucked.

 

FWIW, even in TUC, they switched from Klingon to English during the trial after a couple establishing moments.

 

It would have been better if the actors had finished their oatmeal before grunting their lines.

 

IM#O, they do not sound as if they are speaking conversationally, just orating.

 

I feel sorry for the guy playing T'kuvma. He's giving his damndest to perform under that make up, and then he's got the Greek salad to try and perform on top of that. It wouldn't be as bad if the teeth prosthetic weren't so dramatic.

 

Yeah, and they should have done so with the Klingon scenes in ST: D too. Again, I won't fault the actors as they are putting A LOT of time and effort into it - but I haven't cared for the result so far - and in the end think it was a bad decision by the Producers; and if they get a second season, I hope they don't continue with Klingon, or any other alien languages in this fashion.

 

I've always liked the way the change from Russian to English was handled in The Hunt for Red October:

 

This should have been a model for the DSC production crew.

 

The Klingon scenes were my favorite of the two pilot episodes. I really enjoyed the pronunciation and sort of inflection these Klingons spoke with. I also like how they paused and put emphasis in their sentences. This to me added a certain character and distinction to this race of Klingons.

 

I think that it is important to remember that this is a completely alien culture with alien anatomy and an alien thought process. Unlike most aliens (especially Klingons) portrayed in the TNG era...these aren't being sold as just humans in makeup who have moderately different values than us.

The pattern of speech and way they pronounce their language is going to be very different...and not like traditional Eastern or Western Earth languages.

I think it's extraordinarily convincing.

That doesn't mean I like it or that it's easy to get through those scenes though!

 

Yes, they are far more alien imo.
The klingon scenes were my favorite ones in the first two episodes.

The producers gave them back a kind of mysterious vibe, they never seemed to have again after the first three seasons of TNG. They apparently have so much more cultural customs and history than what we have been shown of them before. I like that the Klingon Empire is apparently thousands of years older and much more advanced than suspected. I was always a big fan of the Klingons. But i can already say that i like this variation of the Klingons the most, because of this.

 

My problem with them speaking Klingon wasn't even so much that they spoke Klingon for those entire scenes but that it sounded like their mouthpieces made it difficult unnecessarily. Those scenes felt stiff because everything in their costumes were stiff. For a warrior race they sure seem slow-moving and overly talkative.

 

One does wonder... Might these folks be ancient? I mean, in their 120s or 130s or so? With all their hair gone and with their speech not what it used to be?

Wouldn't be in conflict with T'Kumva having been devoid of hair also in his youth, either. Many a skinhead gets to relive his days of youth eventually...

Timo Saloniemi

 

They even had the perfect opportunity after T'Kuvma switched to English at the end of his opening speech. Just let him keep speaking it from that point on. We'd get the idea.

 

Is DSC the cannonical abbreviation? Damn, i was trying to start DIS