8.7 Universal Translator

The technical ability to exchange data is not in itself sufficient to permit communication. A common set of symbols and concepts- a language - is equally important before any communication can begin. This is difficult enough on the same planet of your birth; look at Earth. It gets inconceivably worse with other sentient species, a formidable task indeed. The Universal Translator is an extremely sophisticated computer program that is designed to first analyze the patterns of an unknown form of communication, then to derive a translation matrix to permit real-time verbal or data exchanges. Although the Universal Translator is primarily intended to work with spoken communications, its been used for other forms of communication also.

-Deriving a Translation Matrix-

The first step in deriving a translation matrix is to obtain as large a sample as possible of the unknown communication. Wherever possible, this sample should include example of at least two native speakers conversing with each other. Extensive pattern analysis yields estimates on symbology, syntax, usage patterns, vocab and cultural factors. Given an adequate sample, it's usually possible to distill a highly simplified language subset almost immediately; still, this doesn't mean communication is easy. Look at the Tamarians.

In the case where the individual life form communicated with has a similar language translation technology, it is sometimes useful to translate outgoing messages into the Linguacode language form, since this is specifically made as a sort of 'antiencrypted', neutral form.

-Limitations-

The accuracy and applicably of the translation matrix is only as good as the language sample. A limited sample will generally permit a basic exchange of concepts, but with significant distortions possible. Since the Universal Translator constantly updates the matrix during the course of usage, it is often useful to allow the program to accumulate a larger linguistic sample by making small talk before moving on the quantum subspatial chronodynamics, if ye catch my drift.