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Cardassian script

Cardassian script

Incription on a Galor-class destroyer

Script used on a warship's hull

The Cardassian language was the spoken and written language of the Cardassians used on Cardassia Prime.

Written language[]

Cardassian writing was composed of slender rectangular letters usually widening at the top. Lines of text were written both horizontally and vertically, radiating out from an elaborate circle motif. Lines of text also incorporated dots. (TNG: "Chain Of Command, Part II"; DS9: "Tribunal", "Things Past")

By 2259, Starfleet officer Nyota Uhura was familiar with the Cardassian language. She considered it while trying to decipher the inscription on a time portal found on Krulmuth-B, though the language was eventually determined to be ancient Nausicaan. (SNW: "Those Old Scientists")

Keiko O'Brien's classroom aboard Deep Space 9 featured a chart with the Human, Ferengi, Bajoran, and Cardassian alphabet. (DS9: "The Nagus", "In the Hands of the Prophets")

Cardassian military uniforms included writing in gold on the right chest, designed by Doug Drexler. (Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before, p.169.)

Spoken language[]

Odo was called odo'ital when he was studied at the Bajoran Institute of Science. The Bajorans at the institute intended to label Odo as "unknown sample", but all specimens had to be labelled in Cardassian, and the Bajorans mistranslated the term using odo'ital, which literally meant "nothing". (DS9: "Heart of Stone")

In Cardassian ranks, Dukat believed the title of Gul carried connotations of being "much more hands-on than Legate." (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

In 2380, Captain Carol Freeman spent weeks learning to "bark out" Cardassian small talk in preparation for a speech she was to give at peace summit on Cardassia, though her role ended up being canceled. (LD: "Temporal Edict")

Words and phrases[]

Terok Nor and Empok Nor were mining stations of the same design, suggesting their similar names may carry connotation in Cardassian. (DS9: "Cardassians", "Empok Nor")

See also[]

Appendices[]

Apocrypha[]

In the New Worlds, New Civilizations short story The Glories of the Hebitians, "Cardassian" means "People of Discipline" in their language.

In the Star Trek: Terok Nor novel "Day of the Vipers", Old Hebitian (β) is suggested to be a precursor to the modern Cardassian language.

External link[]

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