Talk:Klaatu barada nikto

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This article was nominated for deletion on June 20, 2007. The result of the discussion was no consensus.

Contents 1 Previous discussions without headers 2 Nix 3 Esperanto? 4 Russian spelling 5 it's 'verada' not 'barada' 6 Sound clip? 7 Possible translation 8 back to the future 9 Robert Wise 10 Galaxy Quest reference 11 Judaism 12 Notability concerns

[edit] Previous discussions without headers

The phrase was also used in an episode of "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman", spoken by Perry, making fun of Lois after she said she was abducted. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.216.152.32 (talk) 20:26, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

The phrase was also used in an episode of Animaniacs involving the Hip Hippoes.

The phrase is also used in the 1998 PC game Fallout 2. The malfunctioning Mr. Handy in Klamath uses "Gort! Klaatu Barada Nikto" as a combat taunt. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.243.4.27 (talk • contribs) 06:26, 9 July 2005

Sacrifice (computer game) also uses this phrase during spell casting by the main character... I think.--219.77.140.77 07:26, 17 February 2007 (UTC) ___

I disagree with the suggested interpretation of _barada_. Clearly in the film, Gort had sensed the demise of Klaatu and started the process of releasing himself from the encapulating resin, before the woman arrives to deliver the message. It seems to me that telling Gort that Klaatu is dead would only confirm the situation and the necessity for Gort's destructive sequence.

I think a better translation for _barada_ might be closer to "dead" or "wanting to be dead", giving the full translation as "Klaatu does not want to be dead". Alternatively, _barada_ might suggest completeness, so the phrase could then be rendered as "Klaatu (or his mission) is incomplete". In either case, Gort would then be moved to revive Klaatu in order that the mission should continue. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.86.19.189 (talk • contribs) 04:06, 11 July 2005

[edit] Nix

There is no known translation for the phrase, although the word "Klaatu" would seem to refer to the name of the humanoid alien. One popular, though officially unconfirmed, translation has the word "barada" meaning "alive" and the word "nikto" meaning "not" (by comparison with the Latin nix)

But "nix" means "snow"...perhaps they mean German "nicht"? Adam Bishop 23:27, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

I remember reading somewhere (I no longer remember where, and it may only have been supposition on the part of the writer) that "barada" and "nikto" were related to the Indo-European roots for the verb "to be" and the negative modifier. Essentially then, the phrase would mean "Klaatu is not." Regardless of what language the words come from (if any), I think it's important to remember that this is fiction; the writer may have plucked the words from reality or may have created them to sound like a language or languages he'd heard before. Attempting to derive a specific or deeper meaning (as the anon user above did) is fruitless. The meaning of the phrase — inasmuch as the writer, director, producer, etc., were concerned — is given by the scene itself, not by the "words" in the phrase. Gort's inclination is to avenge Klaatu unless instructed otherwise; told that Klaatu is no more, his mission reverts to maintaining and preserving Klaatu, or in this case, reviving him. Canonblack 07:29, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

That's right. Regardless of any apparent coincidental similarities with words from a human language, the point is that these characters were not from planet Earth. Their language was supposed to have no connection whatsoever with any human language. Imputing connections is probably a fun thing to do in the privacy of your own mind, but it has no place on Wikipedia. In any event, we'd need a published verifiable source rather than just an editor's private musings (which count as original research), and even then it would still be only speculation as to why the writer of the story chose certain words, but would shed NO LIGHT on what they are supposed to mean. The meaning was never defined, and must remain undefined. JackofOz 03:26, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

Absolutely. Hopefully, that's the end of this discussion. Slowmover 15:54, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

While watching the movie for the first time years ago, and remembering how Gort acted when Klaatu was harmed, I took this phrase to mean "Klaatu wishes that no one be harmed."JH443 23:17, 14 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Esperanto?

Can anybody confirm or disprove that the phrase "Klaatu barada nikto" is in Esperanto. I kind of doubt it, but a lot of people seem to think that's the case. There probably should be some clarification of that issue on the page itself. Peter G Werner 19:33, 10 March 2006 (UTC)

I don't think this phrase is related to Esperanto. The word "barada" *might* be parsed out somehow (bari = "to obstruct", -ad- = continuing action, -a = adjective). However, I can't find any Esperanto word roots that start with nikt, nekt, niĉt, or neĉt. --Kevin Cundiff 12 April 2006.

[edit] Russian spelling

Sorry, I find this page accidentally... That is, I don't know anything about subject. However, I can say, that nikto is reading (and writing, if you use cyrillic analogues for letters) as russian word никто. It means "nobody", or "no one". Dendr 09:07, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

In the Russian word, tha stress is put on the second syllable, никто́. In níkto, the stress is on the first one. --Illythr 17:10, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

"boroda nikto" (pronounced baradá niktó) means "of beards nobody". So I think it doesn't have anything to do with Russian (Misha BB)

[edit] it's 'verada' not 'barada'

i'm watching the movie right now & it's definately verada.

I must disagree. JackofOz 03:17, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

As must I. Slowmover 15:54, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

If you're claiming it's "verada", then you're claiming that everyone who has ever been published on the subject has gotten it wrong. Since we can actually read the script (which has it as "barada"), I think it's safe to say that what you think you heard is due perhaps to poor sound reproduction on an inferior print. Canonblack 14:01, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sound clip?

Does anybody have a copy of the movie from which they can post a sound clip of Klaatu (or Helen, for that matter) speaking the phrase? I think it would add substantially to the article. --Leapfrog314 03:22, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

I believe that it is "borata" and the phrase is an anagram for " u talk at a robot kin"

[edit] Possible translation

The given translation I've found in several places is "Kill them not for they know not what they do." Whatever the phrase is it needs to be consistant with the events of the film. It is possible 'Klaatu' has a dual meaning. 'Black' for example can be a name or a colour.--ANTIcarrot 14:44, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

How about the simple "Klaatu (Klaatu) says (berada) don't do it (nikto)" ? Fan-1967 06:07, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Well when Helen gives the message to Gort, Gort comes and rescues Klaatu from the police station, so I've always assumed the message translated, roughly, to "Come and get Klaatu." This is consistent with the events that take place in the movie. - Kooshmeister

Re: "References in popular culture" Rock band "Klaatu" of "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" fame (well, it was made famous by the Carpenter's version)--they do have their own wikipedia entry, but might be included on this page as one of the earlier appearances of the word in pop culture.

[edit] back to the future

isn't it in back to the future when he is scaring his father in a darth vader outfit —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.176.172.119 (talk) 07:03, 15 May 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Robert Wise

I got to meet RW in Anahiem in 1984 and he said John Carpenter was Jesus and JC was a Messiah or Saviour.

He told me "Klaatu barada nikto" meant Klaatu needs help.

Supercool Dude 19:21, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Galaxy Quest reference

Since the Galaxy Quest reference is only a reference to "Klaatu" and not the whole phrase "Klaatu barada nikto", perhaps it belongs on the Klaatu page instead of this one? DH85868993 14:26, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Judaism

This is my first post, so please excuse my stupidity in posting.

In 1992, burned out from the stupidity of the Navigator Xian group, I attempted or started converting to Judaism. While attempting to understand this religion, I read in this book the alliteration of this prayer, done I believe on Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah every year.

It means "God give it (meaning the world) over on this night". It's been the source of many anti-semitic comments throughout history, and it's basically the Jews asking God to give the world over to his/their values on that night. The prayer is not translated exactly, but the alliteration is there, matching it exactly.

The Day the Earth Stood Still also comes from Jewish tradition as being the day of Yom Kippur or else rosh Hashanah, the day the sacrifice was offered to God and time took a brief hiatus elsewhere. After WW2, this movie is essentially demonstrating post-holocaust what would happen in world dominated by violence-destruction of the world! It borrows from this prayer to bring in this idea of universal values and ushering in a new era of peace, like the prayer ushers in a new year.

It's listed in this book, alliterated finally, so you can read it and do it.

http://www.amazon.com/Pray-As-Jew-Synagogue-Service/dp/0465086330/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208126772&sr=1-9

The one I used I got from a public library, it was an earlier edition.

—Preceding unsigned comment added by Beli Mawr (talk • contribs) 23:16, 13 April 2008

[edit] Notability concerns

I've reverted repeated attempts at drive-by tagging. Please use the talk page to explain why you are unable to either work on this article to improve it, or why you think the specific tag deserves to be in this article. If you can't defend the use of your chosen tag here, please do not continue to edit-war it into the article. Use the talk page to discuss your edits. Viriditas (talk) 02:09, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry if my actions appear to be, as you call it, "drive-by tagging," but please understand I have no intention of inciting an edit war here. Please assume good faith on my part. Here is my argument: while this is a well-known phrase and certainly notable enough to be mentioned in the The Day the Earth Stood Still article, is it notable enough and is there enough information on it in reliable secondary sources to merit an entire article? That is the issue at hand. I argue that there is not enough such information and, as such, I had tagged the article as having questionable notability and encyclopedic value as a separate article. I am open to the idea of keeping this article, though, provided that we can get some real-world context in here and not have this article remain just an indiscriminate list of every time the phrase is used in popular culture. --Hnsampat (talk) 03:30, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

I have no opinion on keeping or deleting the article as I have completely given up on the wasteland known as AfD. But tell me, how does this article not meet Wikipedia:Notability? Viriditas (talk) 03:32, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

Generally, Wikipedia's notability guidelines dictate that something notable enough to have its own article has received significant coverage in reliable sources independent of the subject. For fiction, there's the added bit about there being sufficient real-world context for the fictional subject. I agree that this phrase has been uttered a lot and has been mentioned in 3rd party sources, but how significant has that coverage been? And how much real-world significance does the phrase have? That is the question. (Take a look, for instance, at Shaken, not stirred for examples of what I mean by real-world significance.) --Hnsampat (talk) 03:59, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

I appreciate your new approach, but taking a look at WP:N, I don't see a problem. Klaatu barada nikto is one of the most famous phrases in science fiction and it meets the notability guideline in full. The problem is that you are confusing notability of the topic with content, and that is covered here. Viriditas (talk) 07:28, 19 April 2008 (UTC)