Marc Okrand, born in 1948, is an American linguist best known for creating the Klingon language for the Star Trek films and television series. He holds degrees in linguistics from the University of California and conducted early research on Native American languages.
Hired by Paramount Pictures, Okrand first devised Vulcan dialogue for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, then built the Klingon language from the ground up for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, going on to coach actors across several later films.
He set out his invented language in The Klingon Dictionary, which describes its pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies in several languages. He expanded the lexicon in The Klingon Way and Klingon for the Galactic Traveler.
Okrand's work turned a handful of on-screen sounds into one of the most fully developed constructed languages in popular culture, with a living community of speakers, a language institute, and even translated opera and Shakespeare.
