McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
A writer's question about lingual shift
svb1972:
--- Quote from: Sebastian on December 16, 2009, 02:07:08 PM ---You’ve also missed Luther, a significant shift from aristocratic feudalism to monarchy, most of the Black Death and subsequent liberation of english serfs, the discovery of America & the sea route to India, throwing the muslims and jews out of Iberia, the abandonment of Greenland, I also think the prevalence of windmills and waterwheels, reasonably certain Turkey conquered lots of the Balkans…
--- End quote ---
You are right, there's allot you've missed. But I was pointing out that ontop of the big things, little things can change in strange and unforeseen ways.
Basically, you need to map out what the world was like 200 years ago, how it has changed. What events changed it, and how did those events enter into the lexicon.
There's a great war, that destroyed knowledge and basically set people back at least on the equivalent of the dark ages if not farther.
Hooligans, Vandals, Burburs, Turks. These are all tribal names, that took on additional meaning over the years/centuries. What did the battles, the attrocities, do. HOW did all this knowledge vanish. How did the engineers, architects, scientists, doctors (or their magical equivalents) die? How close to the brink of destruction did this world come. Who were the heroes, how did they survive.
There's probably a dozen more questions to answer. But, once you answer them, that will help you begin to shift the language.
comprex:
--- Quote from: Sebastian on December 16, 2009, 02:21:22 PM ---Beware ignoring difficulties with non-verbal communications.
--- End quote ---
:) I'm not ignoring them. I'm saying to map out conceptual and perception differences that might exist and affect NVC ahead of time, , create an NVC, then sort out the spoken word last, without focusing on language detail.
--- Quote --- Like how in Robinson Crusoe they manage advanced theological debate by hand gestures...
--- End quote ---
Well, I know this one Jesuit who could probably could...
Kali:
--- Quote from: svb1972 on December 16, 2009, 02:31:06 PM ---You are right, there's allot you've missed. But I was pointing out that ontop of the big things, little things can change in strange and unforeseen ways.
Basically, you need to map out what the world was like 200 years ago, how it has changed. What events changed it, and how did those events enter into the lexicon.
There's a great war, that destroyed knowledge and basically set people back at least on the equivalent of the dark ages if not farther.
Hooligans, Vandals, Burburs, Turks. These are all tribal names, that took on additional meaning over the years/centuries. What did the battles, the attrocities, do. HOW did all this knowledge vanish. How did the engineers, architects, scientists, doctors (or their magical equivalents) die? How close to the brink of destruction did this world come. Who were the heroes, how did they survive.
There's probably a dozen more questions to answer. But, once you answer them, that will help you begin to shift the language.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for the input, but there's absolutely no way I'm writing an encyclopedia before I write a story. ;D
Blaze:
Then stick to writing what you KNOW.
If you write a story and one of the main premises is etymological shift, expect to have the language mavens come down on it hard if you haven't done your research. If you write about someone being out of their own time, and the awkwardness of that, and ignore the language shift it will be a flub, but one we are all used to overlooking in popular Science Fiction, which frequently leaves out the tedium of needing translators.
Still, I think it could be worth the extra effort, to do it right. Especially since words have so much power! Even if there is no real magic attached to them.
Kris_W:
Ok, I'm in babble mode this morning -
Neologisms – When you introduce new words, or old words used in a new way, the reader will be looking for internal definitions. It is a really good idea to put one in. Although it is true that not fulfilling this reader expectation can be used to increase tension, you have to do it very, very well because if you screw it up the reader will stop reading. The point where new words are introduced is the point where readers most often decide to abandon a story.
Slang Back Stories- Use your created slang to tell part of the back story. Figure out the cultural impact of the back story. Make up words and usage that reflects that impact. Choose parts of the history your readers most need to understand to highlight in this way.
Grammar – Don't put all your language change into slang. Spend some time considering changes to grammar. Pull out your favorite grammar handbook (Harbrace or Transitive Vampire or http://englishplus.com/grammar/gsdeluxe.htm or whatever – You DO have a grammar, don't you?) and go through it, writing out examples of how the people in your story would phrase things as opposed to current usage. Keep in mind the effect of contrast in grammatical styles.
Example: A totalitarian society might be reflected in an overwhelming use of passive voice, sprinkled with characters who speak in commands where questions would be used in current American usage.
Example: The cascading structure of multiple prepositions is the hallmark of relaxed, casual, seductive conversation in an otherwise succinct business culture.
Narrative and dialog – Decide whether to use your lingual shift for both narrative and dialog or only dialog. Stick to that decision. I suppose there could be some case where the dialog is in currant usage and the narrative is shifted, but I can't think of any examples. It is sometimes easier to explain things to the reader if the narrative is in currant usage. However, if the narrative is strictly from the viewpoint of one of the characters then you pretty much have to use the upgraded linguistics in both.
Always keep your audience in mind. No matter how cool your lingual shift is, if the reader has no clue what is going on they aren't going to continue reading.
(Edited because Shecky is better at grammar than I am.)
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