Universal Translator

A technological tool for deciphering languages, enabling effective verbal and data communication between disparate cultures. The universal translator is one of the most significant and valuable devices in use by spacefaring races. It provides an effectively instantaneous translation to and from any number of languages, including those previously unencountered. Under normal circumstances it is so effective and discreet that most individuals take it for granted, barely acknowledging its existence.

Modern devices have been miniaturized to the point where they can be worn inside the ear; these are favoured by the Ferengi, who often encounter new species, and so new tongues, in their never-ending search for trade routes and business opportunities.

The translator functions by analyzing the patterns and syntax of a language, devising from them a translation matrix that permits instantaneous verbal or data exchanges. The system is pre-programmed with a massive database of linguistic information, itself derived from a bank of known languages. Thus, when it encounters a variant of a known root language it can analyze the new tongue very rapidly, typically without meaningful delay. When the translator encounters an entirely unknown language, it analyzes brain wave frequencies, looks for universal concepts, and selects similar patterns; it then calculates the grammar and syntax and electronically generates a spoken translation in real time using an appropriate male or female voice. The translator requires a relatively large sample of an entirely new language before it can provide an accurate translation. Ideally, the sample should include several conversations between native speakers.