McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
A writer's question about lingual shift
Shecky:
--- Quote from: Kris_W on December 16, 2009, 04:15:36 PM ---The cascading structure of multiple prepositions are is the hallmark of relaxed, casual, seductive conversation in an otherwise succinct business culture.
--- End quote ---
Sorry. I can't help it. :D
Kris_W:
--- Quote from: Shecky on December 16, 2009, 04:17:58 PM ---Sorry. I can't help it. :D
--- End quote ---
Arrrrgggg!
You are correct. Thanks!
Shecky:
Don't thank me. It's my tic, my personal obsessiveness. ;D
svb1972:
--- Quote from: Kali on December 16, 2009, 03:04:24 PM ---Thanks for the input, but there's absolutely no way I'm writing an encyclopedia before I write a story. ;D
--- End quote ---
But understand, that your readers WILL build an encyclopedia as they are writing. And if you're very lucky, they'll take apart every single sentence you write as much as we take Jim's apart.
And, if as they're reading, the world doesn't make sense. They will stop reading, unless there is some other compelling part of the story.
Kali:
--- Quote from: Blaze on December 16, 2009, 04:00:42 PM ---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.
--- End quote ---
Well, the shift wasn't going to be a main premise, it was just a problem that sprang immediately to mind when I was envisioning some of the smaller scenes. If I were reading it and the two people involved had no difficulties understanding each other, I'd be the first to pipe up with "If it's been 200 years, why hasn't the language drifted?" Which started me thinking about how to convey it as a writer, without resorting to fake Olde Englishe.
I have a feeling I'll end up doing it, as someone suggested, mostly through idiom. I'm not enough of a linguist to do it up right for something that's really more of a speed bump than a major plot point (since the Rip Van Winklesque character is going to use a bit of magic, enter the handwavium!), and I've never been one for huge amounts of prep work. The more I do prior to writing, the less I want to write. I don't even outline for that reason.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version