Have any Star Wars languages been documented?

Big Phil · Post by **Big Phil** » 2005-02-23 11:41am

Trekkies have expanded and put into dictionary form the Klingon language. I'm not sure if it's been done with other trek languages, but I know it has with Klingon.

Has anybody attempted to do the same with any Star Wars languages - Huttese, Shrywook, Ubese, etc.?

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2005-02-23 11:55am

There's a few huttese dictionaries online, but last time I checked, they weren't comprehensive and consisted only of what was heard in canon.

Elheru Aran · Post by **Elheru Aran** » 2005-02-23 12:08pm

Well, of the languages heard onscreen, besides Basic (rendered as English), Huttese is the most common AFAIK; as we have never heard any other Wookiees speak thus far

, Chewbacca may be considered somewhat unique (for all we know, he may be speaking Basic but as his Wookiee vocal cords can't pronunce the notes right it sounds like growling and roaring). Ubese is another language heard onscreen, as is Ewokese. Bocce is mentioned but never spoken. I don't know if Gungan is spoken onscreen, or if they only speak their pidgin Basic.

The EU is another story; we have Shriiywook (the Wookiee language), Rodian, Twi'lek, Calamari/Quarren, Kuati (as evinced by their distinctive term telbun), and more. However, most of these languages have too little on hand to document-- most are just described by the sounds they make, e.g. clicking and buzzing for the Verpine.

That help?

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2005-02-23 12:12pm

Elheru Aran wrote:I don't know if Gungan is spoken onscreen, or if they only speak their pidgin Basic.

It's spoken in TPM, but only few words when Jar-Jar returns to his home town.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2005-02-23 12:19pm

Actually Ben Burtt has written material on Huttese, Wookiee, Droid bleeps and Nemodian as well as Gungan.

Interestingly, it follows basic what is used in SW, how much is considered canon is unknown except what's directly used in the movie(like from Greedo and Jabba)

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-02-23 12:21pm

Also heard in canon are the Jawa language, the Tusken Raider language, the Sullustian language, and the Ithorian language. But not enough of it is said to make any sense out of it. I remember a thread trying to rationalize how the Ubese words, "yoto yoto," means totally different things each time it was said.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2005-02-23 12:22pm

Actually they have...like I said

This

Is what the guys who made the language have made into an offical source did.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-02-23 12:26pm

Oh I didn't see your post.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2005-02-23 12:40pm

Wermo's Guide to Huttese is a good site (it deals with other SW languages as well):

http://www.geocities.com/wermosguidetohuttese/

avoidingthepo · Post by **avoidingthepo** » 2005-02-23 12:45pm

yea that galctic travel guide by ben burtt has a lot of phrases, words, and numbers on a lot of races

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-02-23 03:14pm

The problem with Huttese is that its implementation in the films has involved quite a lot of recycling, so an attempt at complete translation is more or less moot.

It's rather well known that Ben Burtt and his crew mostly used archaic and/or obscure language dialects, primarily for Huttese and Sullustian. What's interesting is that during the commentary for RotJ, Burtt seems to dispell a long-running rumour: that at one point in the film Nien Nunb says in a Kenya dialect something along the lines of "A thousand herd of elephants are standing on my foot".

Burtt says that real dialogue was written for Nunb, and they had someone like a Kenyan immigrant student come in and help translate his lines as best as possible into a Kenyan dialect, and that translation was then used as a basis for Nunb's final dialogue performance.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-02-23 05:15pm

It's "Numb," as in he was alien Number Nine. This was then made into Nien Numb. Ever wonder why Ten Numb has a number for his first name?

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-02-23 05:23pm

Both the IMDB and StarWars.com list it as "Nien Nunb".

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-02-27 12:45am

WTF?!?! Nunb? I've always known it as Numb! But, yeah, you're right...odd.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2005-02-27 03:04am

Rrooooraaaaarrrwwwwoorrr = I will rip off your arms and beat you with them

Rrorooowwrroroorrwaaaarrr = Why yes i'd love it if you caressed that particular area.

as you see the wookie language is particularly complex.