# Atlantean language (calling all linguists) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050 "2001-06-25T04:56:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/1 "2001-06-25T04:56:49Z")
I mean Disney’s conlang version of Atlantean. None other than Marc Okrand of Klingon language fame was the inventor of Atlantean for the movie. I’d like to learn how to speak it. Does anyone know of anyplace where the vocabulary and grammar are available? I looked at the movie website but all they have is a downloadable font for the alphabet. Found this news release: > [@](#): > > Atlantean Language created by Star Trek Language Expert > > Atlantis shares a couple of connections with Star Trek. The first is that Leonard Nimoy plays the ancient Atlantean King in the film. The second connection is more subtle. Disney explains: > > Adding a whole other level of credibility to the Atlantean civilization, the filmmakers turned to real-life linguistics expert Marc Okrand to create an original readable, speakable language. Okrand, who had previously created words for the Vulcan language (for “Star Trek II”) and went on to invent the Klingon language (used in “Star Trek III” and on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), made up hundreds of Atlantean words for this film that are spoken by Leonard Nimoy, Cree Summer and others. The Atlantean language, which has a corresponding 29 letter alphabet, is rooted in Indo-European but essentially has a set of rules all its own. > > At the press conference for Atlantis, the creators showed an absolutely hilarious video on “How to speak Atlantean”. It featured Marc Okrand in a 50’s style training video explaining how to say simple phrases in the fictional language such as “Where is the bathroom?” It was a fun feature and will hopefully be seen on the DVD. So maybe Okrand will be as forthcoming about teaching folks Atlantean as he was with Klingon. So it’s based on Indo-European? They suggested as much in the movie dialogue (something about “sharing common roots”). Let me have a close look at it and I’ll find those roots! Whatever the merits or demerits of Disney’s movie, as a linguist I gotta love it. The first story with a linguist as action-adventure hero since … uh, since C. S. Lewis’s _Out of the Silent Planet_. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/2 "2001-06-25T05:10:54Z")
Yes is “_tig_,” no is “_kwam_,” and hello is “_supak_.” According to [http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2001-05/25/10.00.film](http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2001-05/25/10.00.film) Anybody know any more words? (Besides [“toke”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74839), I mean.) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/3 "2001-06-25T05:21:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Whatever the merits or demerits of Disney’s movie, as a linguist I gotta love it. The first story with a linguist as action-adventure hero since … uh, since C. S. Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet. Rent **Stargate** sometime. Read **Snow Crash** by Neal Stephenson. -fh ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/4 "2001-06-25T13:26:38Z")
Not exactly action hero, but **The Sparrow** by Mary Doria Russell has a linguist as the main character. It’s an interesting book. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/5 "2001-06-27T16:23:22Z")
Thanks for the tips, **hazel-rah** and **dylan\_73**. I’ll check 'em out. So … does anyone have any idea about the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/6 "2001-06-28T02:22:58Z")
and of course, Omnilingual from H. Beam Piper is a classic short stories that also happens to star a linguist as the heroine. ---
**Author:** ![ssj\_man2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ssj\_man2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssj_man2k)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/7 "2001-06-28T06:48:13Z")
I’d like to learn Klingon. Where can i learn that? My 8th grade science teacher had a poster of klingon vocab in his room, which i thought was interesting, but i want to learn the language. I think it would be fun to cuss out ditzy cheerleaders in klingon. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/8 "2001-06-28T18:50:06Z")
Klingon? Try [http://www.kli.org/](http://www.kli.org/). More than you’ll ever want to know… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DJScherr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DJScherr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJScherr)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/9 "2001-06-28T19:10:25Z")
\ Just want to say nice choice of username Hazel-rah just caught it now, great book. \ Okay move along nothing to see here. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/10 "2001-06-28T19:39:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hazel-rah \* > Rent **Stargate** sometime. Without a doubt, one of the _worst_ movies I have ever seen. Kurt Russel was too apathetic (“Give me the gun, kid. You’ll kill yourself. Have a cigarette instead.”), the story plodded along like a snail OD’ing on kaopectate, and I could go on, but I’m so overcome thinking about this piece of shit movie that I need to go lay down and have **Supergirlfriend** bring me a beer. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/11 "2001-06-28T22:00:54Z")
**Superdude** , maybe it wasn’t the best movie, but it wasn’t that awful. And one of the two leading men _was_ a linguist, which is rare for an action movie _and_ he got the girl! Thanks for the hijack, **DJScherr** , be on the lookout for **Fiver** and **Marlitharn** : ) -fh ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atlantean-language-calling-all-linguists/70050/12 "2001-06-28T22:16:37Z")
I have to agree with **Superdude** , _Stargate_ was a complete disappointment. However, it is mentionable in that it is one of the few movies in which the TV show spinoff (_Stargate SG-1_) is much more entertaining than the original movie.