Klingon Language Institute facts for kids
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tlhIngan Hol yejHaD
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Logo of the Klingon Language Institute
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| Abbreviation | KLI |
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| Formation | 1992 |
| Founder | Lawrence M. Schoen |
| Type | Non-profit, volunteer-based |
| Purpose | Klingon language preservation, research, educational outreach and promotion |
| Headquarters | Northern Kentucky |
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Board President
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Chris Lipscombe |
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Board Vice-President
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Jeremy Cowan |
| Chris Lipscombe, Jeremy Cowan, Alan Anderson | |
| Website | https://kli.org |
The Klingon Language Institute (KLI) is a special group that helps people learn and use the Klingon language. This language comes from the Star Trek TV shows and movies. The KLI also teaches about Klingon culture. It started in Pennsylvania and is now located in Kentucky.
Contents
What is the Klingon Language Institute?
The KLI has members from all over the world. They work to keep the Klingon language alive and help people learn it. Their motto is "qoʼmey poSmoH Hol", which means "Language opens worlds".
KLI Activities
The KLI has published many things over the years. This includes a journal called HolQeD and a fiction magazine. They have also translated famous books into Klingon. Some of these include The Wizard of Oz and Much Ado About Nothing.
The KLI also helps with the Duolingo Klingon language course. They translate science fiction stories, parts of the Bible, and works by Shakespeare.
The Great Meeting: qepʼaʼ
Each year, the KLI holds a five-day meeting called the qepʼaʼ. This Klingon word means "great meeting". Anyone interested in the language can attend. People discuss and use Klingon in lessons and fun activities. It's a chance to meet other Klingon speakers!
The KLI is a non-profit group. This means they don't make money for themselves. They have permission from CBS Studios to use Star Trek names.
History of the KLI
The KLI was started in 1992 by Lawrence M. Schoen. He was a psychology researcher and writer. He wanted to create a group for people who loved the Klingon language. His goal was to help people learn and use "the world's most popular fictional language."
The qep'a' Over Time
The annual qep'a' meeting usually happens in the United States. In 2001, it was held outside the US for the first time. This meeting took place in Brussels, Belgium.
At these meetings, people learn and practice Klingon. They have formal lessons and informal chats. It's a more serious event than a regular science fiction convention. In 2003, a movie about the KLI was announced. It was called Earthlings: Ugly Bags of Mostly Water. This movie was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2022, the KLI moved its main office to Kentucky. In 2023, Dr. Schoen retired from the KLI. He was honored for his many years of work.
How the KLI is Organized
The KLI has a board of directors. These are the people who help run the organization. Currently, the board includes Chris Lipscombe, Jeremy Cowan, and Alan Anderson. Chris Lipscombe is the board president.
Klingon Language Certification
The KLI offers a special program to recognize members who learn Klingon. It's called the Klingon Language Certification Program. There are four levels of certification. These range from Beginner ("taghwI'") to Grammarian ("pab pIn").
To get certified, members take written tests. These tests are free for active KLI members. As of 2023, only the first three levels have tests. No one has reached the highest level, "pab pIn", yet.
Helping New Learners
In the past, the KLI had "Beginners' Grammarians." These were experienced Klingon speakers. They helped new students learn the language through an email discussion list. This helped both new students and the Grammarians themselves.
Special Awards and Contributions
The KLI gives an award called "Friend of Maltz." This award goes to people who have helped the Klingon language in important ways. Only twelve people have received this award since the KLI started.
The KLI has helped translate many official Star Trek products. They work with experienced Klingon speakers to review or translate things. This includes the Star Trek Klingon Collector's Edition of the board game Monopoly. They also helped with comics, manuals, and a Klingon phrase book. The KLI even helped with a rock song called Star Trek Online: Steel and Flame.
The KLI works closely with Marc Okrand. He is the person who created the Klingon language. He visits the qepʼaʼ meetings. At these meetings, he gets a list of new words that Klingon speakers want. He often adds these new words to the language.
Publications and Translations
The KLI has published and translated many interesting works:
- HolQeD: This was a quarterly journal from the KLI. It had discussions about Klingon grammar and new words. It also featured Klingon literature.
- A Pictorial Guide to the Verbal Suffixes of tlhIngan Hol (1995): This book by Lawrence M. Schoen uses drawings to explain Klingon suffixes. Suffixes are word endings that change meaning.
- From the Grammarian's Desk (1996): This book collects grammar tips from Rich Yampell.
- cha' monmey (2021): This is the first novel ever written and published completely in Klingon. It was written by Jackson Bradley.
- ghIlghameS: This is the Klingon translation of the ancient story Epic of Gilgamesh.
- The Klingon Hamlet: This is a Klingon translation of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. This project started after a character in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country said, "You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon."
- paghmo' tIn mIS: A Klingon translation of Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing.
- pIn'a' qan paQDI'norgh: A Klingon translation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching.
- 'aS 'IDnar pIn'a' Dun: A Klingon translation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- chIjwI' tIQ bom: A Klingon translation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. It includes old drawings by Gustave Doré.
- raQpo': A Klingon translation of Robert Silverberg's short story "Passengers."
