- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 1,931
- Reaction score
- 266
- Location
- Somewhere near the woods.
- Website
- kimkouski.com
I used a different language in my novel and I made it with a conlang program on a website. It's gone now, but thankfully the language is done.
Anyway, I took a class through writersdigest.com and they had a whole section on how to use and create fantasy languages. One thing they said is you'll need some sort of translation after the language. Like someone who doesn't speak the language and needs a translation:
"De oper mactou dona," the man said, motioning to Ola.
"What did he say?" Ola asked, turning to Nola.
"He said you are a fat woman," Nola said, laughing.
Or
"De oper mactou dona," the man said, motioning to Ola.
Nola swallowed her giggles. Yes, Ola was a fat woman. "He says you're pretty," Nola said, biting her lip.
Or
The man motioned to Ola and said something in his native language. Nola laughed and nodded her head. Ola let out an exasperated breath. Obviously they spoke about her. Hopefully it was something nice.
Or
He held a dead rabbit by its ears. "We eat Jado today." (Obviously we're eating a rabbit today.)
I've used all of these and it works nice. I've even seen:
"Lata veta, Nola," the man said, holding up his palm.
Nola smiled and raised her hand and repeated the blessing. Hopefully, God's hand would also rest on him.
I didn't use contractions when my fantasy other world MC talked. I won't go, I didn't do it, etc b/c IMO these prases pretty much morphed in our language and I wanted to have a distintion. So instead I used: I will not go. Plus I tried to put in an 'accent' in the dialogue. "I will not give my hand to him in a pact. How do I know his face will not turn from me?" Or something like that. But you'll need to make sure the reader knows what the MC is saying. Brandon Sanderson does this and IMO gives a deeper world building.
But it's up to you as to how you create your language. Or you can just say, He said in his tongue, language, whatever . . .
Anyway, I took a class through writersdigest.com and they had a whole section on how to use and create fantasy languages. One thing they said is you'll need some sort of translation after the language. Like someone who doesn't speak the language and needs a translation:
"De oper mactou dona," the man said, motioning to Ola.
"What did he say?" Ola asked, turning to Nola.
"He said you are a fat woman," Nola said, laughing.
Or
"De oper mactou dona," the man said, motioning to Ola.
Nola swallowed her giggles. Yes, Ola was a fat woman. "He says you're pretty," Nola said, biting her lip.
Or
The man motioned to Ola and said something in his native language. Nola laughed and nodded her head. Ola let out an exasperated breath. Obviously they spoke about her. Hopefully it was something nice.
Or
He held a dead rabbit by its ears. "We eat Jado today." (Obviously we're eating a rabbit today.)
I've used all of these and it works nice. I've even seen:
"Lata veta, Nola," the man said, holding up his palm.
Nola smiled and raised her hand and repeated the blessing. Hopefully, God's hand would also rest on him.
I didn't use contractions when my fantasy other world MC talked. I won't go, I didn't do it, etc b/c IMO these prases pretty much morphed in our language and I wanted to have a distintion. So instead I used: I will not go. Plus I tried to put in an 'accent' in the dialogue. "I will not give my hand to him in a pact. How do I know his face will not turn from me?" Or something like that. But you'll need to make sure the reader knows what the MC is saying. Brandon Sanderson does this and IMO gives a deeper world building.
But it's up to you as to how you create your language. Or you can just say, He said in his tongue, language, whatever . . .
I've been contemplating the idea of portraying bits and pieces of a fictional language for my fictional species in my WIP. I am inclined to avoid this all together, but this species does speak not-english, too. In fact they have two separate dialects depending on what sub-division the individual is born into. Then there's 'the common tongue,' which everyone speaks: English. Kos I speak it.
Thing is I'm not sure how to execute any such fictional language in a way that doesn't blatantly irritate the reader. In them old roleplays where I used to do something like this it was easy to just spout off a random set of characters and leave it at that; no one asked a thing. How some ever, I think that's a bad idea in novelwork. I mean like:
"Jakyl U aobai mamaju'quy ey derp." He said.
"Totally." Replied his Mary-sue companion.
So if there's anyone out there with some suggestions on how to do this kind of thing, I'd greatly appreciate it.