pIqaD

pIqaD is the Klingon writing system used to render the Klingon language in the Star Trek franchise. The name pIqaD denotes the script itself in Klingon, and it is a distinctive, glyph-based alphabet used alongside the Latin transliteration of Klingon.

pIqaD was developed for on-screen use by Star Trek’s production design team, with linguistic input from Marc Okrand, the linguist who created the Klingon language. The script is designed to visually convey a language that is not English, featuring angular, stylized symbols that correspond to Klingon phonemes. It is most commonly seen in props, title cards, and fan-produced material.

Today, the Latin alphabet version of Klingon is the standard for everyday writing, but pIqaD remains popular among fans for signage, calligraphy, and educational materials. Because pIqaD glyphs are not tied to an official digital encoding, fonts and keyboard mappings vary; fans and resources use fonts and mappings that render pIqaD from Unicode-based or image-based representations. The Klingon Language Institute and other fan communities maintain guides and fonts to render pIqaD accurately.

pIqaD is regarded as a cultural symbol within the Klingon language community, representing the visual identity of Klingon culture in media and fan practice. While it appears less often in official Star Trek material, it persists in fan art, conventions, and linguistic resources, contributing to the broader appreciation of Klingon heritage.