Talk: Trill symbiont

Content[]

This seems rather repetitive, all of the information in this articles sections can be found at the articles that the sections are named for. I suggest this be simplified by replacing the sections themselves with links. Tyrant 00:28, 20 May 2005 (UTC)Tyrant

Symbiont or Symbiot ?[]

Is it positive that the actual term is indeed "Symbiont"? "Symbiot" would seem more appropriate at least to me. – The preceding unsigned comment was added by Aduitsis (talk • contribs).

I believe you mean "symbiote" (with an e), as the term "symbiot" does not exist. ;) In any case, "symbiont" is the more common spelling and that is how it's spelled in all of the articles on M/A (as well as in the Trek scripts), so we will stick with "symbiont". :) --From Andoria with Love 23:12, 17 Aug 2005 (UTC)

Symbiote is a more scientific term, like those fish that ride on sharks. Symbiont is how it is spelled in all DS9 DVD subtitles I've seen, so I say keep using Symbiont. (although I do think they mean basically the same thing) - AJHalliwell 23:50, 17 Aug 2005 (UTC)

They do. I checked dictionary.com; the definition for "symbiote" is "see symbiont". :) --From Andoria with Love 01:53, 18 Aug 2005 (UTC)

From what I have seen, Symbiont appears to be the correct spelling in terms of the Trill on Star Trek. On Stargate SG-1, the word Symbiote is used for the Goa'uld. This sometimes causes mix-ups with Star Trek/Stargate fans. Enzo Aquarius 00:50, 3 Sep 2005 (UTC)

The traditional Greek "symbiont" is used in Star Trek, while the French "symbiote" is used in Stargate... They are the same word, in different languages. 68.62.92.137 03:45, 6 Jan 2006 (UTC)

Trill host?[]

This is perhaps an odd point, but since the Trill are referred to as a joined species, this seems to me to mean that both the host and symbiont can be referred to as "Trill." Perhaps the article Trill should be at Trill host. - Montrealais

A symbiont is a Trill symbiont. A Trill is a Trill. Trills are referred to as Trills; symbionts are referred to as symbionts, or Trill symbionts. Symbionts were never referred to as Trills, nor are Trills the only species who can become hosts (although they may be the only ones most compatible). --From Andoria with Love 05:32, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

I do need to point out that Riker was a Host for a bit.. so he was not a Trill but clearly the Host. In a situation like that we could call the Host simply a Symbiont Host?--Jlandeen 13:50, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

(3 years later) ...and most Trill don't host, so most members of the hypothetical Trill host article would not... be... Trill... hosts. --TribbleFurSuit 19:03, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

huh? Captain come again there was static or something on the line..--Jlandeen 20:43, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Point is that Trill are not a "joined species", like Montrealais was saying... 3 years ago. Most humanoid Trill are not hosts. I think your point, about beings which host symbionts, is already pretty much covered in the generic Symbiosis article, and in the Trill symbiont article too. There's just not any need for a Trill host article, as originally suggested, and I don't feel like a Symbiont host article is quite necessary either, since it's really not a separate subject. --TribbleFurSuit 23:36, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Joining: a medical procedure, but before that?[]

I was in contemplative mood mulling over Trek as I am wont to do, when I considered Trill joining as it is presented in Star Trek: a medical procedure.

My thoughts took me to the question, "how long have Trills and Symbionts been joining" and how did they know to join in the first place?"

It got me thinking that there was a first time when the worm entered a Trill body -- by which orifice(!) -- and the symbiosis was accomplished. Were the first hosts largely women? Did the symbiont originally enter the colon? Did it perhaps enter through the mouth and burrow into the gullet to avoid digestive juices? Rust (talk) 20:14, December 31, 2013 (UTC)

None of that was ever discussed in the show- aside from knowing they have been joining for many generations using just what we know of Dax- and doing so here is outside the purview of talk pages, which are for discussing article changes only. 31dot (talk) 20:16, December 31, 2013 (UTC)

Degree of sentience[]

How sentient are the Trill symbionts? Are they conscious? Are they more extra memory organs or are they sentient apart from the host?

In the TNG episode The Host, Odan says "This body is just a host. I am that parasite." So they were definitely intended to be sentient when they were first introduced. The DS9 series later retconned away the idea that the symbiont completely takes over its host's body, making the question of the symbionts' sentience less clear. The novella Trill: Unjoined does portray them as fully sentient. Ezri Dax descends deep into the Caves of Mak'ala and communicates with giant symbionts that are thousands of years old. --NetSpiker (talk) 05:03, 18 July 2021 (UTC)

The Discovery episode People of Earth reaffirms that the symbionts are indeed sentient: "According to the sphere data, the symbionts are a sentient life-form, benevolent and extremely long-lived." --NetSpiker (talk) 05:10, 18 July 2021 (UTC)