Cardăsda is the sole official language of the Cardassian Union. Its status within the Union is comparable to that of Mandarin Chinese under Communist rule: While minority languages such as Kurabda continue to exist, their use is discouraged (and they are in some cases actively being extinguished). They have no official status and are referred to as mere "dialects" even though they are linguistically divergent enough to be considered languages in their own right. (Star Trek: Sigils and Unions)