Universal Translator
The device that lets Star Trek's species understand each other.
A universal translator instantly translates any language. It is common in science fiction and spares stories from translating a new alien language every episode. In Star Trek, if a language has never been recorded, the translator may need a delay before it can work it out.
Quick Facts
- Function
- Instant translation
- Linked to
- Hoshi Sato (Enterprise)
Lore & Background
In Star Trek: Enterprise, communications officer Hoshi Sato used the universal translator to invent the linguacode matrix.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual describes it as a highly sophisticated computer program that analyses the patterns of an unknown language, starting from a sample of two or more speakers in conversation.
More in Technology & Artifacts
Elsewhere in Star Trek
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