A UNIVERSITY student is set to boldly go where no student has gone before - and learn the Klingon language for her degree.

Star Trek fan Anita Karr, 32, is delving into the alien tongue used by Captain Kirk's enemies in a bid to gain a BA in applied languages.

Miss Karr, president of Portsmouth University's Sci-Fi Club, is the first student to learn Klingon and write a dissertation on it for a degree.

The conversation of Klingon aliens is spoken by Star Trek fans around the world. There are dictionaries and phrase books available and people communicate in Klingon on the Internet.

Miss Karr, who is studying French, Italian, and linguistics, keeps hundreds of episodes of Star Trek on video at her home in Southsea, Hampshire.

She said: ``I will need to learn Klingon for my dissertation. The language is based on Russian and was developed by American Mark Okrand. They gradually added bits to it as it was needed in the series.

``It is growing and growing - every year they bring out new words and phrases.''

She added: ``There is a lot of dispute among linguists about whether it is a real language. The Bible is being translated into Klingon.''

The sci-fi club has nearly 50 members and will start classes in Klingon next year.

``We get into some very serious conversations,'' said Miss Karr.

``A lot of people are interested in how real Star Trek could be and discuss things like how far you could take warp drive.''

Among Klingon phrases are:

q Iwlji jachjaj - May your blood scream (the Klingon equivalent to ``Cheers!'').

q blmoHqu' - You are ugly.

q bljeghbe'chugh vaj blHej - Surrender or die.

q nuqDaq yuch Dapol - Where do you keep the chocolate?