May 4th, unofficially known as Star Wars Day, is celebrated by fans of stories from a galaxy far, far away in numerous places around the world.
For the uninitiated, May 4th was chosen as the fan-created day of celebration of the films and universe first created by George Lucas because of the ease with which the date fits in with the well-known Star Wars catchphrase “may the force be with you.”
Whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not, there are some interesting aspects of this fictional galaxy. In this article, we’ll take a look at how the world of languages intersects with the Star Wars Universe.
May the Fourth be with you!
Are the languages of Star Wars based on real languages?
Constructed languages in works of fiction, such as Elvish from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or Klingon from Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek, are fully functional languages which can be—and are!—spoken by actual people in the real world. They take an incredible amount of time and effort to create and require expert linguists (with a lot of time on their hands).
The languages spoken in Star Wars, however, are—on the whole—less rigorously constructed and more often based on real-world languages. The franchise’s legendary sound designer, Ben Burtt, often sampled the sounds of a language and then had actors improvise alien-sounding dialogue based on how it felt.
In fact, the fame of many Star Wars languages is more often tied to the iconic characters known for speaking them. For example, some of the most popularly asked questions on the topic include:
What language does Jabba the Hutt speak?
Jabba the Hutt is one of the most legendary characters in the Star Wars universe. A crime boss whose loathsome nature is matched only by his grotesque appearance as a giant slug with a face, he is the nemesis of everyone’s favourite smuggler and scoundrel, Han Solo.
In the Star Wars films, Jabba speaks Huttese. In the real world, the sound of Huttese was inspired by Quechua, a language family spoken in and around the Andes Mountains in South America. Burtt confirmed using Quechua recordings as a phonetic foundation for creating the feel of the language. Voice actor Larry Ward then improvised the lines that became Jabba’s voice.
The Quechua people live in various parts of Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and Colombia. There are various dialects, the most common of which is Southern Quechua, and Quechua is more accurately described as a family of languages rather than a single unified tongue. These languages are spoken by around 10–11 million people worldwide, and while mostly concentrated in the Andes region, they’re far from obscure.
That said, it’s certainly not a dead language. So Star Wars fans visiting Peru might just overhear someone speaking in a way that faintly resembles Jabba the Hutt or Greedo (the green-skinned bounty hunter of “Han shot first” fame).
What language does the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon speak?
The regular co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon—Han Solo’s iconic heap of junk spaceship—is every fan’s beloved walking carpet, Chewbacca. But since the Wookiee language is essentially just roaring (though it has a fascinating origin story involving bears, lions, and walruses), we won’t go into detail here.
The co-pilot in question is Nien Nunb, the diminutive figure (and puppet) who partners with Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams, in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The language he speaks is known in-universe as Sullustese. But in the real world, it’s a combination of Kikuyu, spoken by the largest ethnic group in Kenya, and Haya, a Bantu language from neighbouring Tanzania.
The actor behind the voice of Nien Nunb is Bill Kipsang Rotich, a Kenyan who was studying in the U.S. when cast. Rotich improvised his lines in Kikuyu and Haya, making the character unintentionally understandable to millions of Kenyans and Tanzanians. This unexpected linguistic overlap turned Rotich into a minor celebrity when he returned home!
What language does Watto speak in The Phantom Menace?
Watto is the small, blue, flying junk-dealer from Episode I: The Phantom Menace—a film that’s often picked on by fans (though Episode VIII might now share that crown).
Watto—and fellow alien Sebulba, the pod-racing menace—appear to speak Huttese as well. However, the sound of their speech in these scenes was inspired by a very different real-world language. While there’s a popular fan theory that Finnish influenced this dialogue (largely because of the appearance of real Finnish words like “kiitos,” meaning “thank you”), this was likely coincidental.
Ben Burtt himself has suggested that Watto’s accent was a blend of various European and Middle Eastern languages, including Italian and Arabic, meant to create a shady, exotic character—something that has since sparked criticism due to perceived ethnic stereotypes.
So while it’s tempting to point to Finnish as the linguistic source, it’s safer to say that Huttese was improvised using a hodgepodge of accents, without direct ties to any one specific language.
What language do Ewoks speak?
Ewoks are the teddy bear-like forest dwellers from Return of the Jedi. Despite their primitive appearance and stone-age weaponry, they famously manage to defeat stormtroopers using sticks, stones, and clever traps—something that’s inspired more than a few debates among fans.
The language spoken by the Ewoks is known as Ewokese, and it too has its roots in real-world languages. For their speech, Burtt drew on Tibetan, Nepali, and Kalmyk—a Mongolic language spoken in the Kalmykia region of Russia. These languages were selected partly because they sounded “alien” to an English-speaking audience.
But this time, the decision stirred controversy. A Buddhist chant from a real religious recording made its way into one of the Ewok scenes—leading some viewers fluent in Tibetan or Kalmyk to recognize it instantly. While likely unintentional, it does raise important questions about cultural sensitivity when borrowing elements from real languages and traditions.
What language does Yoda speak?
One of the most beloved—and most heavily memed—characters in the Star Wars franchise is Jedi Master Yoda. This small, green, wise creature lives in a swamp, trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force, and speaks in an odd yet strangely poetic manner.
Sentences like “Much to learn, you still have,” or “Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they,” strike English speakers as unusual and thought-provoking. This is intentional. Yoda’s speech pattern was designed to make him sound ancient, wise, and otherworldly.
Linguistically, Yoda primarily speaks in an object-subject-verb (OSV) sentence structure, which is extremely rare in human languages. For comparison:
Subject-verb-object (SVO) – Used in English, Mandarin, and many other major languages.
Subject-object-verb (SOV) – Found in languages like Japanese, Persian, and Turkish.
Verb-subject-object (VSO) – Seen in Celtic languages and, to some degree, Hawaiian.
A fascinating investigation by linguistics professor David Adger at Queen Mary University of London even identified Hawaiian as the real-world language that comes closest to Yoda’s syntax—though it actually uses VSO rather than OSV.
In short, Yoda’s speech is intentionally designed to sound alien, rare, and riddle-like—perfect for a mentor whose wisdom spans centuries.
Before we wrap up, it’s worth mentioning that the Star Wars universe doesn’t just borrow sounds from real-world languages—it also has its own written script. The strange-looking text you see on starship control panels, signage, and holograms is called Aurebesh. This stylized alphabet is a cipher of the Latin script, designed to look alien while remaining readable with a little effort. Though originally created for the films, Aurebesh has taken on a life of its own and is now widely used in official merchandise, theme parks, fan art, and even tattoos. It’s a perfect example of how the Star Wars universe blends real-world creativity with immersive worldbuilding—even down to the alphabet.
From Wookiee roars inspired by wild animals to Ewok chants rooted in Himalayan languages, Star Wars shows that even in galaxies far, far away, language remains one of the most powerful tools for building culture, identity, and connection. Whether you’re a linguist, a sci-fi nerd, or just someone who appreciates clever storytelling, it’s fascinating to see how real-world speech patterns shape our favourite fictional universes.
So next time you rewatch Return of the Jedi or hear someone mutter “Yub nub,” take a moment to appreciate the very human voices that helped bring these alien worlds to life.