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I just realised something, with the amalgamation of species and cultures into the Borg, what language do they speak? I see three options but I can't find evidence for any:

  1. The Language of Species 0001
  2. The most efficient language they've found so far
  3. Whichever language they need to use at the time

And we hear English via the UT.

I can't see number one being popular, nor can I see 2 being helpful when they have to update documentation...

I'm stumped. Is there another, better, more correct answer? Which one is it? Can we know?

edit

I'm mostly interested in the times they speak to other species, however infrequently that is.

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  • 9
    What language does the left hemisphere of your brain use to communicate with the right? Hmm... come to think of it, that's kind of an interesting question...
    – Beta
    Sep 8, 2012 at 0:34
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    I keep thinking of the...Binars? I think, from the TNG episode where they steal the Enterprise, while giving Riker a good time in the holodeck. I always thought it would make a good episode to bring them together with the Borg in some way.
    – NominSim
    Sep 8, 2012 at 0:41
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    The binary language of moisture vaporators.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Sep 8, 2012 at 2:32
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    @Beta I believe It's called borgish. ;)
    – Secko
    Sep 8, 2012 at 13:37
  • It's MSIL. Here's the proof: csis.ysu.edu/~kriss/funstuff/borg.MS.html
    – David Stratton
    Sep 8, 2012 at 14:02

2 Answers 2

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As far as I understand the Borg, they don't use any language to communicate. They are a collective mind and are aware of each other's thoughts, presumably without the requirement for a language. However, at this point everything gets a bit esoteric; Can we think without language? If not, how are thoughts carried inside the brain?

Anyway, when communicating with non-Borg, spoken communication falls under the general "how do different species talk to each other" wibbly-wobbly. If the Borg Queen talks to Picard and Data in First Contact or to Janeway in Endgame they are either speaking English or one of the languages you list. With each other, they don't require a spoken language.

This is evidenced by the Borg Queen in First Contact referring to language as primitive communication:

BORG QUEEN: Why do you insist on utilising this primitive linguistic communication? Your android brain is capable of so much more.

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  • I have just watched a VOY episode yesterday (I don't know which one, because I use it as a background noise while I'm doing my hobby) in which Harry Kim says something like "I don't know captain I can't speak borg(ish)." and later in that episode (or the following one) he says "I'm just trying to learn borg(ish).", (I'm not sure about the wording because I have seen it dubbed on my native language.) so I'm pretty sure there is a Borg language. I will try to clarify this when I get home from work, but I won't rewatch teh entire season for this.
    – mg30rg
    Sep 22, 2015 at 14:26
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    In addition: Interestingly in the hungarian version of the Wikipedia article on the borg, there is an info box (in the English one there only is a logo). In this info box it says "language: borg tongue/neurocybernetic telepathy".
    – mg30rg
    Sep 22, 2015 at 14:32
  • If I remember correctly it was the episode where he was to work with Seven. I suspect it was just a joke or meant as "I'm learning to to communicate in a manner that agrees with a [former] borg." Not specifically a literal language.
    – bitmask
    Apr 6, 2017 at 9:43
  • After two years, I can't say I'm sure, but I think it was presented like Harry actually spoke about a literal language course. But it could either be my mind playing tricks on me, or a glitch im dubbing.
    – mg30rg
    Apr 6, 2017 at 15:45
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The use what, to me, sounds like a form of very complex computer code as their language. Due to the link to the collective, all drones know it upon assimilation:

the Borg used alphanumeric code as their written language and for encoding and transmitting data throughout the Collective. Their language consisted of circular symbols with geometric shapes cut out of them. These symbols could be seen on various control panels, labels, and viewscreens within Borg structures. It was written in many different directions: in horizontal lines going from left to right and right to left, and vertically. As the name suggests, the symbols represented both alphabetic characters that represented sounds, and numbers, with much Borg terminology comprising alphanumeric sequences.

The code was immensely complex and consisted of at least fifty characters and was stored, among other places, in data nodes. Despite its complexity, other species could learn it. (VOY: "Revulsion")

And from about 11 and a half minutes into VOY 4x01, Scorpion Part II, this screenshot - look at the blue circles for an example of Borg written language (they change as the scene goes on):

Borg computer terminal

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