Universal translator

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  • Commonly referred to as the UT (ENT)
  • Device used for translating both known and unknown languages through rapid processing and interpretation
  • Core functionality takes advantage of similar paths of neurological evolution among humanoid or formerly-humanoid species to map similar conceptual or grammatical structures (SCE Short Story: "Aftermath")
    • Additionally, languages with fewer to no commonalities to known languages require greater processing time to generate appropriate translation matrices on demand (DS9: "Sanctuary")
  • Federation
    • Earth implementation invented mid-22nd century (ENT: "Broken Bow")
      • Original implementation required direct manipulation and analysis to implement a new language following initial recording and processing (ENT: "Fight or Flight")
      • Initial improvements largely driven by field experience of Hoshi Sato and NFN Bowring (ENT; SCE Short Story: "Aftermath")
        • 2155: Miniaturization of core functionality for particular preset languages (ENT: "Demons")
        • 2160s: Development of linguacode (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")
      • By the 23rd century, the development of duotronics allow universal translators to incorporate real-time neurological analysis based upon identified similarities in neurological structure across known humanoid or formerly-humanoid species (TOS: "Metamorphosis"; SCE Short Story: "Aftermath"; VOY: "Warhead")
        • This shift allows for automated field generation of baseline translation matrices in the field, removing the need for direct programming of translation matrices in the field
          • Such automatically generated translation matrices could then be revised as needed once transmitted to Starfleet Communication, and distributed throughout the fleet
          • Presumptive given that this isn't a thing in the 23rd century anymore as it was in the 22nd, coupled with the development of duotronics and the tentative connection between the two established in "Warhead"
        • However, languages with fewer to no commonalities to known languages require greater processing time to generate appropriate translation matrices on demand (DS9: "Sanctuary")
          • Further, field generation of translation matrices for nonhumanoid species or species heavily divergent from baseline assumptions continues to be difficult if not impossible, requiring direct intervention to produce even a baseline translation (ENT Novel: A Choice of Futures; TNG: "Darmok"; SCE Short Story: "Aftermath"; DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Cathedral)
        • Basic UTs could at this point be miniaturized enough to be integrated into communicators, with the traditional, more elaborate handheld devices only necessary for more divergent languages (TOS: "Metamorphosis")
          • Presuming that the device shown in "Metamorphosis" is a technological descendant of Sato's handheld device shown throughout ENT

Known Components

  • Pinker-Sato phonology module (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Cathedral)
    • From context, device for mapping one phonology into another, including cross-referencing across linguistic database to account for range of physically producible sounds, phonetic drift, etc.