Vulcan writing

[CX]

Does anyone know of any efforts, official or fan-made, to assign word or letter meanings to the various samples of Vulcan writing we've seen so far?

[JadziaKathryn]

Nope. I think the linguistically inclined seem more into Klingon. Although there were the two different Vulcan language projects - maybe somewhat based in canon???

[Lady Rainbow]

Unfortunately, there really isn't any "official" letter-by-letter translations of Vulcan. A lot of the "scholarly" weblinks I've tried don't exist anymore.

That said, CX, the best I can come up with are these sites:

http://www.lasatha.org/vald/
The Vulcan Academy Linguistics Archive The mail servlist is still up, but the other links don't work anymore.

http://www.stogeek.com/wiki/Category:Vu ... _Institute
This is the Vulcan Language Institute Reclamation Project on ST:Online Geekpedia. It's got some things saved from the original VLIS, including grammar.

http://www.stogeek.com/wiki/Golic_Vulcan_Media_Script
Has examples of script (bottom of page), but I'm not sure if that's a direct letter-to-letter correspondence, CX.

There seems to be SEVERAL versions of Vulcan script.
SCRIPT I:
From "Memory Alpha":

The primary version resembles terrestrial musical notes and is written in vertical columns running top-to-bottom, left-to-right. The primary Vulcan script consists of a central staff, along which spirals, long and short dashes, and dots are written. (ENT: "The Seventh"). A more intricate version of the musical-notation like text was used in ancient times by the Vulcans. This type was written in the Kir'Shara, as well as engraved on the walls of P'Jem. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident", "Kir'Shara")

A more stylized version of this script appears on the Promenade of Deep Space 9. (DS9 set decoration)

From Wikipedia: * The most common script on Vulcan resembles a vertically-written chromatic scale, having a central staff line on which vertical spirals and horizontal dashes are written, along with dots in various combinations. No official translations for these symbols exist. The script is written in vertical columns from top to bottom, left to right, like Mongolian and Ogham.


SCRIPT II:
From Memory Alpha:
A second writing system seems to consist of simple squiggles, spirals and dots and can be used separately or in tandem with the primary script. A sequence of several symbols from this script appears on many forms of Vulcan clothing. This script is also written vertically. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; ENT: "Breaking the Ice", "Fusion", et al.)

From Wikipedia:
* The second script written in the same direction consists of swirly curved symbols, like Japanese hiragana. These first two scripts have been used separately or in combination with each other. When this is the case, the swirl symbols accompany the staff writing symbols as annotation written to the right of the staff (perhaps serving the same function as Japanese furigana and other ruby characters).

SCRIPT III:
From Memory Alpha:
A third cuneiform-like script appears on Vulcan starship hulls and in some Vulcan homes and temples. This script appears to run left-to-right like many Terran languages. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; TNG: "Unification II")

From Wikipedia
* A third script consists of rectangular blocks cut into geometric shapes. They have only ever been seen on the hulls of some Vulcan ships and bear no apparent relation to the first two scripts.

I hope this kinda helps. If you need any more linguistic help, let me know.

[CX]

You wouldn't know how to write Sub-Commander T'Pol in Vulcan, would you?

[TPoptarts]

I used the letters according to VLI and another site I don't have the link for (I don't even know if it exists anymore). I have the files on C2 though so if you don't mind waiting until I can retrieve them I could probably figure out how to write "Subcommander T'Pol"...

The text on the left means "master of Kolinahr" (trensu t'kolinahr) and on the right it means "master of logic" (trensu t'ozhika). That's also according to VLI. Now just gotta find the letter for P well I don't really know how to say "subcommander" in Vulcan though. I know "commander" from VLI's Starfleet rank terminology but that's like Earth ranks which is the equivalent to subcommander in Vulcan ranks, so I don't really know if it's the same as "subcommander" if you have a translit for "subcommander" that would help

[Alelou]

Snort! "Logically challenged." Very nice.

[Aquarius]

That's just hilarious!!

[Linda]

I used the VLI for the source of Vulcan letters to put on a Vulcan robe I made. And I discovered, sigh, that in addition to being logically challenged, I am also graphically challenged.

Anybody have a stencil sheet of Vulcan letters?

[evcake]

Hmmm...doesn't sound like it would be too hard to do. You want to stencil them onto the fabric? Which letters?

[Linda]

Evcake,

Okay, lets see if I still can do photobucket. This is my Vulcan costume with the letters on it that I would like to do better. Actually, I'd like to add more letters, for a total of four. They don't have to mean anything in particular, just letters that look nice. LOL, I can look up in the Vulcan dictionary some words that they can mean.

[evcake]

Nice work! Are the letters appliqued on?

[Linda]

Yes, I blew up on the computer some letters I found on the Vulcan Language Institute. Then I printed them and used them for patterns to cut cloth. Unfortunately the gold cloth frayed easily. So when I redo the letters, I want to do it differently.

[Alelou]

Maybe if you could iron the gold cloth onto some kind of stiff backing with adhesive on it, it wouldn't fray?

Might be a disaster at laundry time, I suppose.

[evcake]

How about fabric paint, applied directly from the bottle? It has a raised effect. Or you could outline your appliques with paint. Or maybe raised applique?

These look cool...


The top symbol recurrs a lot, as on Soval's robes:


From The Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Blog
"As in most cultures, Vulcan religion and philosophy have many important symbols with diverse histories and meanings. No single symbol means the same thing to every Vulcan. However, there is a series of three symbols which appear with great consistency and across many different professional boundaries in Vulcan society. These are called Rata, Tafar and Tapan.

Usually, these symbols are worn on the chest in a vertical column. Their meanings, translated into English, are Concept (Rata), Discipline (Tafar) and Process (Tapan). According to some, a poetic form may be associated to the unity of these symbols: "Branches entwined form the tree" (http://startrekpropcollector.com/trekau ... items/4184). This would suggest that on their own, these symbols are but pieces of a larger whole and thus incomplete unless presented together"

[Linda]

Alelou and Evcake, thanks for the ideas! And I have to get this black wig I have to cut to Vulcan norm. But because it is artificial hair, professional hair dressers won't do it for me.