Real foreign languages in fantasy settings? http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398 Maracate I was just wondering what some people's opinions were on using say, Polish in a land where Poland doesn't exist? Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:05:34 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1078354 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1078354 LilyLariaLaton I'd just change the name, I'm thinking of using Italian as my language acctually. It's easier than coming up with something:) Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:13:32 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1090634 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1090634 Lady_Indis_Dress I don't see any reason why you can't use a real language in a fake setting. Even in a fantasy world remarkably similar languages could exist. You might want to add an author's note explaining why you chose that language. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:16:07 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1091427 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1091427 BeeJayCue I use a few words from other languages when one of my characters is using a term in his language, usually with an explanation of its meaning. It adds flavor. So my dwarves speak Welsh, unless my Welsh dictionary doesn't have it or the word's too close to English. Then they hop over to Albanian. So far all my elves need only speak Armenian and that's just a few words now and then, mostly names. (I got all those dictionaries from library book sales) It's easier than creating individual languages for each race. That would take a linguist like Tolkein to do that. Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:26:08 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1098330 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1098330 Earthsick ... kind of reminds me how some videogames include interesting accents for the different fantasy countries. I think this is a nice idea. Why go through the trouble of inventing a language without having the knowledge how to do so if there are plenty of interesting languages around anyway? The only problem could be actually getting the grammar and everything right. I already saw people writing fanfiction that had extremely awful sentences in German, just because they made one of their characters talk in that language (I know that because it's my native language). I guess apart from research it would also be wise to ask some native speakers for their input if you actually plan on publishing or generally posting it somewhere since people will always nag or remind you if something goes wrong. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:49:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1104780 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1104780 Tex2S Boy, I sure hope you can, cuz I have done almost exactly that! More to the point, I like what Earthsick says: anybody in the world can sit down and mash some words out on a typewriter and say "in my language, that means 'I love you.'" (To do it WELL, with a whole consistent syntax and rules of grammar, is an exceptionally difficult and involved task which I mean to disparage not even slightly.) But I do think there is something pretty great about introducing or re-introducing real-life languages to your readers. Not only is it a nice treat for any reader who happens to speak it (though as again with Earthsick, that does mean you better do your homework, hard!), but like BJQ says, it imparts a "flavor" to your fantasy-folks that tickles the part of our brains which relish familiar patterns. (If I introduce you to three fellows named Meringue, Fondant, and Chocolatine, you wouldn't need to parlez-vous the ol' Francais to get an idea that maybe there's a pattern in there.) It's a vast and considerably splendid world out there, and drawing fearlessly from it can only make your fantasy-world richer as a result! Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:44:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1106932 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1106932 Katherine Jane I think you should be able to although since my fantasy is set in a world humans have colonized I doubt I'm the best one to judge. Still, it's probably safe to say that most writers will use their own first language when it comes to the main body of their work so I don't see any reason there shouldn't be more than one real language although you might need to explain why you choose a particular one. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:05:49 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1119566 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1119566 Scarlet Siverweaver Go right ahead, it's a whole lot easier than creating your own. I used a bit of Latin in some of my stories, and it helped draw on the whole ancestors-of-ancient-humans thing I had going. Plus, it made for private conversations between two of my characters even when my main character was in the room. She never took Latin. To this day, Ivan's last words remain a mystery to those of us who never studied the language of ancient Rome... Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:44:22 -0400 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1235678 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1235678 Spuggey Ah, you have all solved a major problem for me where languages and accents are required on an alternate earth! The countries are different now, but I'm gonna let the languages survive! Thanks! :D Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:03:32 -0400 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1239282 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1239282 Emma_Sunshine I'm using Latin as the language on a different planet. I think it's fine. In my book I said that the language originated on that planet and was brought to Earth. Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:34:45 -0400 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1240013 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/the-polling-booth/threads/49398?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1240013