dissatisfied with pIqaD

[Somraw+]

posted on 7-6-2003 at 10:06 PM

dissatisfied with pIqaD

I'm dissatisfied with the KLI's/klingonska Akademien piqaD. It works fine as a script for klingon but as stated somewhere, its a 'Sequoyah cherokee "alphabet"'. I want to know if any of you people have created a more canon version (by more canon I mean sticking to the 10 glyphs frequently featured in the TV series and movies). I've come up with a system that uses digraphs and letter combinations to map klingon sounds to the 10 letters and I'll be happy to share it with you (via email), but I want to see if any one else has come up with something better.

I await your replies.

Qapla'
 

[qurgh]

posted on 7-7-2003 at 12:58 PM

Unfortunatly there is no canon system, and Okuda has said several times that he will never allow one to be made based on his symbols, because then he couldn't randomly throw them on the screen.

I would disagree with your idea that the KLI's published version of pIqaD is some form of Cherokee alphabet, they look completely different.

The pIqaD the KLI uses is the same symbols that have been used on the show, with some more added in by someone at Paramount. Unfortunatly we don't, and I doubt we ever will, have more information on this pIqaD.

Okrand said he will never make one, because that would cramp Okuda, and Okuda said he'll never make one because of the same reason. It's unfortunate, but we go with what we have.

I would be intrested in seeing how you mapped 33 sounds (26 lettes + 7 diphthongs) and 10 numbers to only 10 symbols, while still keeping in direct and straight forward manner of Klingons.

If you want to see more canon usage of Okuda's pIqaD I have scanned in all but 2 of the Skybox Klingon cards.

[Somraw+]

posted on 7-10-2003 at 06:51 PM

The comment about the cherokee alpabet wasn't meant as a direct comparrison but rather a metaphor for the creation of KLI's alphabet. Sequoyah saw some latin text, but not knowing what the symbols meant he took them randomly, rotated them and made his alphabet, also adding letters he made up (it is a syllabary, not an alphabet for all intent and purposes). The creation of the KLI's alphabet is very similar. I did not mean my statement literally.

Also though there seems to be only ten letters commonly used, there is an eleventh, used in the ds( tech manual, and newest edition of the star trek encyclopedia (its a variant of the q shaped letter; it is filled in). I have sources for it so just ask and i'll mail them to yah (along with my mapping of letters to the sounds).

I'm not sure about the numbers, however i believe i've found what could be numbers of some form off a kingon okudagram (they're triangular shapes of various sizes). I'll scan them in and send them to you.

Who said the klingon script had to be systematic? The fact it only has 10/11 letters means it can't be. I guess its like tibetan or english, the letters represent sounds but the spelling is mostly etymological and doesn't match modern pronunciation too well, either that or there are many digraphs for single sounds (e.g english th, sh, ai, oo).
Who cares what okrand or Okuda won't permit? Just becasue okuda is too lazy to have done the job properly does not meaan we have to restricted by the canon.

And finally, I have images of three skybox cards I got from the klingonska website. Are there any more? the cards i have are klingon family values, klingon disruper and klingon k't'inga cards. If there are more please sent them to me thankyou.

[qurgh]

posted on 7-10-2003 at 10:13 PM

goto http://qurgh.wizage.net/cards/cards.html for more of the skybox cards that I scanned it.
Yes, I want to see what you did

[qurgh]

posted on 7-11-2003 at 01:46 PM

Now that I have seen Somraw+'s work I can actually comment on what he is trying to do.
To start with, I like it. It's very orginal and would make Klingon text look like canon, all be it a lot longer.
Somraw+, my suggestion would be to get your work on the web somewhere, and post the URL to the KLI mailing list, there are many people on there that are much more linguistically talented and trained than I am and would be able to comment on it with much more skill than I can.

Overall, I think it's a very good and unique job. Qapla' jupwI'!

[weslipuqlod]

Okuda prefers to stick with his favored ten yet there are more.  The KLI pIqaD allegedly came from Paramount.  What is confusing to most is the manner in which the glyphs are drawn.  Keep in mind that within Klingon art and signage some characters rotate for aesthetic purposes.

Once you draw them out more bold and angular, then turn them around, you start to see a lot of similarities with what has been used by Okuda and others within the many series and movies.
 
In my research I have actually been able to confirm screen usage of 20 characters, 19 being letters, one being a number.  There are only 7 letter and 8 number glyphs that have not been used, and for all I know maybe all of them have and I just cannot get better clarification on pause.

[weslipuqlod]

I know I have commented on my pIqaD research for over a year now.  Since the above post on batlhjaj I have set my efforts at completing my work on an accurate font.  I have since reviewed all my original notes and sources and wore out the pause on my VCR.

I have now identified 23 distinct glyphs that have appeared within television episodes or movies.  Using the same vector graphics software as Okuda I have created a font that does the Klingon language justice.

The Alliance of Identical Fire has established a formal domain and will be creating a new website.  In the interim you may see a report of my findings and examples of this new character font at The Alliance of Identical Fire.