# Star Trek continuity hole?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-continuity-hole/364673>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 15, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-continuity-hole/364673 "2006-07-15T23:53:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-continuity-hole/364673/41 "2006-07-17T20:48:13Z")

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> [@](#):
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> [hijack]I find the ST universal translator oddity loads less annoying than the thing in Star Wars, where everyone can understand each other’s language; Han talks to Chewie in English, but understands the response in Wookie; same thing when he talks to ugly-CGI-Jabba; same thing when he talks to Greedo; same thing when Threepio talks to Artoo; same thing… well… you get the idea.

In Star Wars, everyone understands Basic, and, if their vocal apparatus is set up for it, can speak it as well. Folks also learn the languages of those whom they deal with often. And Threepio, of course, understands and speaks everything, that being one of the purposes for which he was built. So Han knows Hutt and Wookie, because those are the languages of his boss and his co-pilot. Chewbacca and Artoo understand Basic, but aren’t able to speak it. Jabba has the knowledge and ability to speak Basic, but deliberately doesn’t, as a show of his power. But when you have two characters who don’t speak each others’ languages, you need a translator, such as Threepio.

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