Changes: English language

Revision as of 09:56, 3 September 2007

English is a language widely spoken on Earth and a main operating language at Starfleet and the UFP, both headquartered in San Francisco.

The use of English spread from the 17th Century as the British Empire gradually expanded its control over the planet's oceans and claimed many colonial territories. As a result, the language became commonly spoken in such nation-states as Ireland, Bermuda, the USA, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, India (among others in the Asian subcontinent) and South Africa (among others in Africa).

From 1992 to 1996 Khan Noonien Singh was the absolute ruler of a quarter of Earth's human population, from the Subcontinent to the Middle East. English was spoken in several of his subject countries, and in others seized by his fellow supermen in 1993. (TOS: "Space Seed")

In 2024 individuals that were submitted to the Sanctuary Districts were given questionnaires and told to answer all of the questions to the best of their ability. They were told that if they could not speak English an interpreter would be provided, and if they could not read, the questions would be given to them verbally. (DS9: "Past Tense, Part I")

On the maiden mission of the UESPA / Earth Starfleet NX-01, when linguist Hoshi Sato was discomfited by the sequencing of the deflector at warp 4.4, she snapped at T'Pol "ponfo mirann!" (Vulcan for "go to hell!"); T'Pol replied coldly, "I was instructed to speak English on this voyage and I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that." (ENT: "Broken Bow")

In early 2152, welcoming Vulcan ambassador V'Lar aboard the NX-01, T'Pol addressed her in Vulcan; V'Lar insisted that they not speak this language, as she wanted the opportunity to practice her English. (ENT: "Fallen Hero")

Later yet that year, Jonathan Archer encountered a drayjin that appeared to him in the form of a Human female. This female spoke to Archer, much to his surprise, as his initial reply to her was a statement of the obvious: "You're speaking English." (ENT: "Rogue Planet")

When Enterprise encountered an automated repair station, Captain Archer noted that all of the panels were in English. T'Pol stated the computer must have scanned their database. (ENT: "Dead Stop")

In 2267, Khan was revived from suspended animation and his first question was in English: "How long?" Waking later in the NCC-1701's sickbay, he thought he had dreamt hearing the language. (TOS: "Space Seed")

Later that year, the long-lost Zefram Cochrane was surprised to find that James T. Kirk, Spock, Leonard McCoy and Nancy Hedford spoke English. (TOS: "Metamorphosis")

The inhabitants of planet 892-IV spoke a parallel-development form of English, which Spock said had been spoken on Earth three hundred years before. (TOS: "Bread and Circuses")

In 2268 the NCC-1701 encountered a Melkotian buoy which communicated telepathically, everyone on the bridge comprehending the message in her/his native language : Russian for Chekov, Ki-Swahili for Uhura, his own planetary language for Spock, English for Kirk and certain others. (TOS: "Spectre of the Gun")

When the crew of the USS Enterprise-D pulled up the Treaty of Armens, it included both the English language version alongside the Sheliak language version. (TNG: "The Ensigns of Command")

One reason that the use of English in the episode TOS: "Bread and Circuses" is made explicit--aside of the nod to a certain 20th Century Empire--is the homophone "sun/son" which confuses Kirk, Spock and McCoy and is resolved by Uhura. Such wordplay is not likely in an alien language heard via UT.

External Links

English language at Wikipedia

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-'''English''' is a [[language]] widely spoken on the [[planet]] [[Earth]]. Modern English was spread around Earth as the [[Great Britain]] expanded its borders and [[colony|colonies]]. As a result, the language is widely spoken in such places as the [[United States of America]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].
+'''English''' is a [[language]] widely spoken on [[Earth]] and a main operating language at [[Starfleet]] and the [[Federation|UFP]], both headquartered in [[San Francisco]].
+The use of English spread from the [[17th century|17th Century]] as the [[Great Britain|British Empire]] gradually expanded its control over the [[planet]]'s oceans and claimed many [[colony|colonial territories]]. As a result, the language became commonly spoken in such nation-states as [[Ireland]], [[Bermuda]], [[United States of America|the USA]], [[Canada]], [[Fiji]], [[New Zealand]], [[Australia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], [[India]] (among others in the Asian subcontinent) and [[South Africa]] (among others in Africa).
-The inhabitants of planet [[892-IV]] were noted for speaking in colloquial [[20th century]] English. ({{TOS|Bread and Circuses}})
+From [[1992]] to [[1996]] [[Khan|Khan Noonien Singh]] was the absolute ruler of a quarter of Earth's human population, from the Subcontinent to the [[Middle East]]. English was spoken in several of his subject countries, and in others seized by his fellow supermen in [[1993]]. ({{TOS|Space Seed}})
-Individuals that were submitted to the [[Sanctuary District]]s were given questionnaires and told to answer all of the questions to the best of their ability. They were told that if they could not speak English an interpreter would be provided, and if they could not read, the questions would be given to them verbally. ({{DS9|Past Tense, Part I}})
-When [[T'Pol]] was first introduced to [[Hoshi Sato]] in [[2151]], Hoshi told her to ''"go to Hell"'' in the [[Vulcan language]], and T'Pol replied coldly, stating ''"I was instructed to speak English on this voyage and I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that."'' ({{ENT|Broken Bow}})
+In [[2024]] individuals that were submitted to the [[Sanctuary District]]s were given questionnaires and told to answer all of the questions to the best of their ability. They were told that if they could not speak English an interpreter would be provided, and if they could not read, the questions would be given to them verbally. ({{DS9|Past Tense, Part I}})
+On the maiden mission of the [[UESPA]] / [[Starfleet (Earth)|Earth Starfleet]] [[Enterprise (NX-01)|''NX-01'']], when linguist [[Hoshi Sato]] was discomfited by the sequencing of the [[deflector]] at [[warp]] 4.4, she snapped at [[T'Pol]] "''ponfo mirann!''" ([[Vulcan language|Vulcan]] for "go to hell!"); T'Pol replied coldly, "I was instructed to speak English on this voyage and I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that."  ({{ENT|Broken Bow}})
-In early [[2152]], upon taking [[Vulcan]] [[ambassador]] [[V'Lar]] aboard the Earth [[starship]] [[Enterprise (NX-01)|''Enterprise'']], T'Pol addressed V'Lar in the Vulcan language. However, V'Lar insisted that they not speak in the Vulcan tongue, as she had been anticipating the opportunity to practice her English. ({{ENT|Fallen Hero}})
+In early [[2152]], welcoming [[Vulcan]] [[ambassador]] [[V'Lar]] aboard the ''NX-01'', T'Pol addressed her in Vulcan; V'Lar insisted that they not speak this language, as she wanted the opportunity to practice her English. ({{ENT|Fallen Hero}})
-Later yet that year, [[Jonathan Archer]] encountered a [[drayjin]] that appeared to him in the form of a [[Human]] female. This female spoke to Archer, much to his surprise, as his initial reply to her was a statement of the obvious: ''"You're speaking English."'' ({{ENT|Rogue Planet}})
+Later yet that year, [[Jonathan Archer]] encountered a [[drayjin]] that appeared to him in the form of a [[Human]] female. This female spoke to Archer, much to his surprise, as his initial reply to her was a statement of the obvious: "You're speaking English."  ({{ENT|Rogue Planet}})
 When ''Enterprise'' encountered an [[automated repair station]], Captain Archer noted that all of the panels were in English. T'Pol stated the [[computer]] must have scanned their database. ({{ENT|Dead Stop}})
+In [[2267]], [[Khan]] was revived from suspended animation and his first question was in English: "How long?"  Waking later in the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|''NCC-1701'']]'s sickbay, he thought he had dreamt hearing the language. ({{TOS|Space Seed}})
-[[Zefram Cochrane]] was surprised to see that [[James T. Kirk]], [[Spock]], [[Leonard McCoy]] and [[Nancy Hedford]] spoke English. ({{TOS|Metamorphosis}})
+Later that year, the long-lost [[Zefram Cochrane]] was surprised to find that [[James T. Kirk]], [[Spock]], [[Leonard McCoy]] and [[Nancy Hedford]] spoke English. ({{TOS|Metamorphosis}})
+The inhabitants of planet [[892-IV]] spoke a [[Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development|parallel-development]] form of English, which Spock said had been spoken on Earth three hundred years before. ({{TOS|Bread and Circuses}})
-When the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']] encountered a [[Melkotian buoy]], it spoke to the crew in their native languages, which included English, as heard by [[James T. Kirk]]. ({{TOS|Spectre of the Gun}})
+In [[2268]] the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|''NCC-1701'']] encountered a [[Melkotian buoy]] which communicated telepathically, everyone on the bridge comprehending the message in her/his native language : [[Russian language|Russian]] for Chekov, [[Swahili language|Ki-Swahili]] for Uhura, [[Vulcan language|his own planetary language]] for Spock, English for Kirk and certain others. ({{TOS|Spectre of the Gun}})
 When the crew of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise''-D]] pulled up the [[Treaty of Armens]], it included both the English language version alongside the [[Sheliak language]] version. ({{TNG|The Ensigns of Command}})
+:''One reason that the use of English in the episode {{TOS|Bread and Circuses}} is made explicit--aside of the nod to a certain [[20th Century]] Empire--is the homophone "'''sun/son'''" which confuses Kirk, Spock and McCoy and is resolved by Uhura. Such wordplay is not likely in an alien language heard via [[Universal translator|'''UT''']].''
 ==External Links==
 *{{wikipedia}}
 [[Category:Earth languages]]