Understanding the Irken language

     From what I have been able to piece together by doing insane amounts of research, Irken is somewhat similar to English. They both sound pretty much the same and have the same sentence structure. The only difference they would have is Irken has its own bit of slang and is spelled differently due to missing letters.

     Like stated before, certain letters in Irken are missing (U, V, Y, and Z). They are replaced by other letters of the English alphabet. For example, the letter U would be replaced with two O's to replicate the U sound that is seen in words like "super". Z would actually be S, meaning that ZIMs name is actually SIM in the native accent. GIRs name in Irken would probably be GR, cause our normal ER sound in English would just be R in Irken. V would translate to F, and Y would most likely be spelled as "I".

     I mentioned how Y would be I, however I need to inform you about how certain letters are pronounced in Irken. As seen how ZIM pronounces his name, the I is more rounded and sounds like "ee". Meaning that I would be used in the place of E when E would be pronounced as "ee". There is most likely a reason why Irkens will use I instead of E in some cases.

     Using two E's to make the "ee" sound is seen as informal, and is slang or inappropriate. This has not been confirmed or anything, however from the research I have done it seems that it is correct. In the show the term "shmeep" is used a bit, it isn't an actual word. However I have my theories that it is just Irken slang or curses, just like how douchebag isn't a real word in English but we still use it to insult one another.

     Adding onto the crudeness of Irken, the written variation is all in capital letters. The creator has confirmed that everything is in caps because Irks are seen as annoying and disorderly. They take over planets and have no respect for those weaker than them, so of course that would make sense. Since they are very rude, the written variation of Irken is the most common.

     Another variation of Irken is the subtitles that are seen on the DVDs. This variation goes more in depth and has capital and lowercase letters. Due to the fact that Irkens are so disrespectful towards those weaker, I have my suspicions that this form of Irken is a more accessible version. This version goes more in depth and is better at describing the tone. However just like the normal form, this one also follows English grammar rules.

     The closest thing I could compare it to would be Sign Language , braille, or audio descriptions in our world. I'm sure blind and deaf Irkens have existed, and it would make sense on why the Irkens would want to erase the disabled ones. I am not sure how the subtitle variation would be used because they are aliens who have higher levels of technology than us humans. But I am certain that this form of Irken was made to aid those who may need a little more help with understanding the language. 

     Both variations are just as valid and can be understood if learned properly. And there are 3 different ways to write it for convenience. One is the normal font that you see in the show and on the DVD covers. Another is a thinner more simple way to write on paper or by hand. The final third option is the same as English shorthand writing, it is even more simplified and is easier to write down in a rush.

     The normal variation is the most recognizable version of Irken. It is also the easiest to learn if you can process the different letter usage. I'm going to put a little cheat sheet below so you know how to pronounce and spell in common Irken.

Missing letter substitutes:

U = oo (as in fool)

V =  f (as in favor)

Y = i (same as I)

Z = s (as in sign)

Other letter pronunciations/spelling:

I = ee (as in need)

EE = i (unless intended to be rude)