Alien names in Star Trek

[CalMeacham]

Two of the things I came in to observe, the Ferengi and their Grand Negus, have already been mentioned.
It’s pretty clear to me that in The Original Series they left writers to pretty much make up their own names. Aside from a discussion about what Vulcan names should be (mostly “beginning with Sp- and ending with -k”, leading to a hilarious interchange of memos that’s reproduced in the book The Making of Star Trek*), I don’t recall reading anything dictating alien names. The aforementioned “Elaan of Troyius” shows what can happen.

Another example is “Mr. Atoz” the librarian in “All Our Yesterdays”. It took me years to realize that his name is simply “Mr. A to Z”, rendered simply as “Atoz”.

*They didn’t stick with the “p”, but kept the "S’ at the beginning and “k” at the end, witness Sarek, Saavik, etc.

[Totenfeier]

Has anyone else noticed that, if an alien race is friendly to us, they will usually pronounce the name of our species as we do, “Hyoo-m(schwa)n,” but if they are more on the hostile side, it will be more like “Hoo-mon”?

(I suppose that, if they were addressing Scotty, it would be “Hoot Mon!”)

[psychonaut]

@Totenfeier

Has anyone else noticed that, if an alien race is friendly to us, they will usually pronounce the name of our species as we do, “Hyoo-m(schwa)n,” but if they are more on the hostile side, it will be more like “Hoo-mon”?

I thought the “hoo-mon” pronunciation was specific to the Ferengi. Have you noticed this with any other races?

[Totenfeier]

@psychonaut

I thought the “hoo-mon” pronunciation was specific to the Ferengi. Have you noticed this with any other races?

The Nausicaan who stabs Picard through the heart in TNG (“Tapestry”) calls him that - or at least something very similar.

[terentii]

@psychonaut

I thought the “hoo-mon” pronunciation was specific to the Ferengi. Have you noticed this with any other races?

Doesn’t Saavik (half Vulcan, half Romulan) say “hoo-mon” when talking to Spock about Kirk in Wrath of Khan?

[Grestarian]

@CalMeacham

Aside from a discussion about what Vulcan names should be … I don’t recall reading anything dictating alien names. The aforementioned “Elaan of Troyius” shows what can happen.

This keeps getting mentioned as an example of lay name-creation. It always seemed to me that, if you’re trying to write a SciFi future homage to ancient Greek classics (and stick your slut-of-a-ship-captain in the middle of it) you need to somehow reference the original tales so viewers who aren’t schooled in The Classics can get some kind of a clue–if they bother to look for it.
[ul]

From WIKIPEDIA about Helen of Troy: In 1968, Star Trek: The Original Series produced an episode entitled “Elaan of Troyius”, a corruption of ‘Helen of Troy’, in which a woman’s beauty causes problems for the crew of the Enterprise.

[/ul]
IOW: I don’t think that was a lazy mistake; it was a hint.
–G!

[CalMeacham]

@Grestarian

This keeps getting mentioned as an example of lay name-creation. It always seemed to me that, if you’re trying to write a SciFi future homage to ancient Greek classics (and stick your slut-of-a-ship-captain in the middle of it) you need to somehow reference the original tales so viewers who aren’t schooled in The Classics can get some kind of a clue–if they bother to look for it.
[ul]
[/ul]
IOW: I don’t think that was a lazy mistake; it was a hint.
–G!

It’s not a hint. It’s a sledgehammer.

[Tim_R.Mortiss]

@Totenfeier

The Nausicaan who stabs Picard through the heart in TNG (“Tapestry”) calls him that - or at least something very similar.

Just saw that episode last night, DVRed from BBC America. It sounded to me like the Nausicaan said “Hyoo-Monn.”

[Totenfeier]

@Tim_R.Mortiss

Just saw that episode last night, DVRed from BBC America. It sounded to me like the Nausicaan said “Hyoo-Monn.”

I cede the rightness of your answer; it was a hybrid. It’s been several centuries since I last saw the episode, myself…

[JRDelirious]

@CalMeacham

It’s not a hint. It’s a sledgehammer.

In the best Trek tradition, they communicate a message by wrapping the note around a wrecking ball.

[carnivorousplant]

@Steve_MB

After eliminating all the obvious straightforward explanations, they kludged together something about a genetic retrovirus in ST:E.

Fan-fic. :dubious:

[carnivorousplant]

@Trinopus

Re Chekhov / Chekov, you might want to ask Tschaikovskii about that.

Translating the Cyrillic alphabet seems for like phonetic pronunciation to me.
Tsar Czar.

[terentii]

Chekhov (the author) is Чехов.

Chekov (the ensign) would be spelled Чеков. The two are pronounced differently.

Chaikovskii (the composer) is Чайковский. The spellings with Tch- are Western conventions.

So far as I know, Chaikovskii is derived from чайка, “seagull.”

I’m guessing that Chekhov is somehow derived from чех, “Czech.”

The name Chekov, if it exists (and I have never heard of anyone else who has it), could be derived from any one of these:

http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?CL=1&s=���&l1=1

Царь is the Russian spelling of “Tsar.” The spelling “Czar” is another Western convention. The word itself is derived from “Caesar.”

[terentii]

Чек can also mean “Bohemian,” depending on context (Bohemia being one of the traditional Czech lands).

[terentii]

Sorry, copied the wrong spelling. Чех can also mean “Bohemian.”

[carnivorousplant]

@terentii

The word itself is derived from “Caesar.”

That I did know, as is Kaiser.

But come now, we have the saying “Chekov’s Phaser”. (sp)

[terentii]

@carnivorousplant

But come now, we have the saying “Chekov’s Phaser”. (sp)

A lighthearted play on “Chekhov’s gun.”

[carnivorousplant]

@terentii

A lighthearted play on “Chekhov’s gun.”

Indeed, Sir.

If a flying dinner pizza is seen in the first scene, it must attack Spock by the third.

[Corner_Case]

@Steve_MB

The problem with that theory is that several Klingon characters who had appeared in ST:TOS (no ridges) appeared in [noparse]ST:DS9[/noparse] (with ridges).

After eliminating all the obvious straightforward explanations, they kludged together something about a genetic retrovirus in ST:E.

Picard: What makes you think she’s a doctor?
Worf: Well, she turned me into a Klingon
Picard: A Klingon?
Worf: {meekly, after a long pause} … I got better.
Crew: {shouts} Burn her anyway!

[Irishman]

@RealityChuck

I’ve also heard stories that the name was chosen because they meant Klingons, but forgot what they had called the Klingons (or vice versa).

@RealityChuck

Maybe, but can you confirm or deny the story that they named one group of aliens and planned to use them again, but chose a different name?

I’ve not heard that with respect to the names or looks of the races. But it is something that happened with respect to the space ships. One episode of Romulans has them flying Klingon Bird of Preys. The kludge answer is that the Romulans were obviously buying weapons from the Klingons in some sort of complicated arms deal.

@carnivorousplant

Fan-fic. :dubious:

It should be relegated to fan-fic. Alas, it is canon from Enterprise.