Why didn’t we get a Vulcan Dictionary?

[golddragon71]

When Star Trek the Motion Picture was made, we heard two new languages for the first time. Klingon and Vulcan.
A few years later Klingon is heard again in Star Trek III
Following that we would eventually get the first edition of the Klingon Dictionary.
Additionally we’ve seen Klingon language tapes (conversational and Power Klingon)
(And there are even some colleges that offer Klingon language courses for interested students)

However, we never got a companion book on the Vulcan language.
Both languages were invented by Marc Okrand.
Was there such an overriding demand for people to be able to speak Klingon and no appreciable interest in speaking Vulcan?
(Very odd given that Spock has always been arguably the most popular and recognizable character in the Star Trek canon.)
Could we ever get such a book in the future?

 

[Christopher]

I don't think there was ever a systematically created Vulcan language in the movies. The Vulcan scenes in TMP were filmed in English, with James Doohan inventing the "Vulcan" words that were dubbed over the actors' lines, trying to match their lip sync (with the subtitles rephrased some to make it less obvious). Marc Okrand did create Vulcan dialogue for TWOK and TSFS, but only four lines in the former and three in the latter. And I think the Spock-Saavik turbolift scene in TWOK was also filmed in English and dubbed after, though I'm not sure.

So I doubt Okrand created enough Vulcan material to get a whole book out of.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I've seen a fan made vulcan language ebook somewhere

 

[Stevil2001]

I've seen a fan made vulcan language ebook somewhere

There used to be a "Vulcan Language Institute" web site, and I think they self-published a book, but both site and book seem to be gone now. Michael Schuster used their material to construct the Vulcan dialogue in The Tears of Eridanus.

 

[Christopher]

There used to be a "Vulcan Language Institute" web site, and I think they self-published a book, but both site and book seem to be gone now. Michael Schuster used their material to construct the Vulcan dialogue in The Tears of Eridanus.

Is it this one? https://www.starbase-10.de/vld/
I've used that site as a reference for Vulcan vocabulary in one or two things.

 

[Ronald Held]

There is a book you could buy on Amazon.
I asked Marc Okrand several times of he would make a Vulcan language book, but he did not see a need for one, AFAIR.
https://www.amazon.com/Vulcan-Langu...46195&sprefix=vulcan+language+,aps,108&sr=8-2

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Earlier (5 years ago), I commented thusly on my posting of my "Everything Happens to Me" fanfic: "Logic" (https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/everything-happens-to-me-repost.284359/#post-11752740)

Interestingly enough, remember the game Spock and McCoy were playing, vis-ner-kulas? I looked up my made up Vulcan words to see if I had inadvertently named it something in actual Vulcan. The only part which translated was "vis", which meant "grid". So maybe Kulas invented it, hence "grid belonging to/by/of Kulas"

Today, I looked up the VLD page and found this:

vis grid a framework of crisscrossed or parallel bars; a grating or mesh
vis net an openwork fabric made of threads or cords that are woven or knotted together at regular intervals (noun)
vis web a latticed or woven structure; a structure of delicate, threadlike filaments characteristically spun by spiders or certain insect larvae

ner- dependent contingent on something else; not independent; being under the power or sovereignty of another or others

kulan helix a three-dimensional curve that lies on a cylinder or cone, so that its angle to a plane perpendicular to the axis is constant
kulan spiral a curve on a plane that winds around a fixed center point at a continuously increasing or decreasing distance from the point

So I inadvertently made up something related to a "web/grid/net dependent on a helix/spiral" - very science game-y.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

And I think the Spock-Saavik turbolift scene in TWOK was also filmed in English and dubbed after

It was, but the scene is actually in the torpedo room.

The turbolift scene was with McCoy and Kirk.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

What Human language is Vulcan most similar to?

 

[publiusr]

Elvish of course

 

[FederationHistorian]

Was there such an overriding demand for people to be able to speak Klingon and no appreciable interest in speaking Vulcan?

Klingons received so much more attention onscreen (TOS Movies/TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT) than Vulcans (TOS Movies/VOY/ENT) in the era the Klingon dictionary was out. In the late '80s and early '90s when it was released, Spock and Sarek were the only Vulcans the received any focus. In that same period, Kruge, Chang, Gorkon, Azetbur, Worf, K'Ehleyr, Kahless, Durus, Gowron and countless other Klingons received focus. There was interest in the Klingons over the Vulcans because that's what the tv producers focused on.

In this era of DIS and SNW, a Vulcan dictionary may be more popular as Vulcan is more of a focus these days than the Klingons.

 

[Ronald Held]

I doubt anything official will be made. VLI book may be all there will be.

 

[Ronald Held]

FWIW search on Kathleen Reynolds on YouTube.

 

[Avro Arrow]

FWIW search on Kathleen Reynolds on YouTube.

OK, so I tried it. Not really sure what any of the results have to do with the subject at hand?

 

[Ronald Held]

She has several videos teaching Vulcan pronunciation and grammar/syntax

 

[Avro Arrow]

She has several videos teaching Vulcan pronunciation and grammar/syntax

Oh? Maybe you could drop some of the videos in the thread, because my search results didn't give anything in the same ballpark as that!

 

[F. King Daniel]

I doubt anything official will be made. VLI book may be all there will be.

Does it need to be official? Modern Trek has already used fan-designed logos for alien races. I wouldn't be surprised if a Vulcan character's tattoo from a recent Picard episode said something specific and they used online fan stuff to make it.

 

[Ronald Held]

Oh? Maybe you could drop some of the videos in the thread, because my search results didn't give anything in the same ballpark as that!

You mean links to the YouTube videos? I will look into it tonight.