tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post521455927318954788..comments2024-03-09T11:34:22.175+00:00Comments on The History Girls: Language to Suit: Some thoughts by Elizabeth ChadwickMary Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-34343933766472426842013-08-26T13:37:48.633+01:002013-08-26T13:37:48.633+01:00I didn't know that about 'moustache' H...I didn't know that about 'moustache' Helen - how interesting!Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-44577973672602373552013-08-24T23:39:21.061+01:002013-08-24T23:39:21.061+01:00I recently read a novel set in 19th century France...I recently read a novel set in 19th century France where the main character regretted not having bonded with her grandchildren. I can barely recall the title of the book or the name of the author, but that "bonded" still niggles.<br /><br />Off now to order Alianore Audley from my local library. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17929505033428484560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-83434243966226383832013-08-24T22:46:09.454+01:002013-08-24T22:46:09.454+01:00Some modern words have to be used because alternat...Some modern words have to be used because alternatives would be plain silly: "moustache" is a good example. The word was not known in England in 1066, but I use it for my characters in Harold The King (UK title - I Am The Chosen King US title) It would be clumsy writing to say "Harold stroked the facial hair trailing beneath his nose and above his lip to either side if his mouth" when "Harold stroked his moustache" is clearly understood by the reader - even if it isn't strictly "correct". On the other hand "OK" instead of "that's fine" is plain nonsense in a historical fiction book, but at the end of the day historical fiction IS fiction and is meant, primarily, as entertainment not a history lesson. And anyway, Forsooth and Gadzooks I enjoy your story-telling too much Elizabeth to notice whether 'blanket' is a correct word or not!Helen Hollickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04292983846350273039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-9243710361131845312013-08-24T11:20:19.979+01:002013-08-24T11:20:19.979+01:00PS - another book where modern slang - really mode...PS - another book where modern slang - really modern OMG! LOL! - type slang is used to great effect is 'Lydia Bennet's Blog - The Real Story of Pride and Prejudice' by Valerie Laws. I'm just reading it for the second time, LMTO and admiring it all over again.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-45485540350695252472013-08-24T11:13:23.973+01:002013-08-24T11:13:23.973+01:00I jibbed at 'gotten' until my Scottish par...I jibbed at 'gotten' until my Scottish partner asked why. 'Gotten' is still, and was always, used in Scotland, he said. A LOT of Scots emigrated to the US and Canada too. It is fun to talk about these things, but impossible to ever get right and keep everyone happy!Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-61592136325864808932013-08-24T10:42:38.535+01:002013-08-24T10:42:38.535+01:00Love that, Imogen!
Interestingly (to me, anyway)...Love that, Imogen! <br /><br />Interestingly (to me, anyway) I sometimes have to try and explain the word "woe" - as used above in your "woe betide" - as part of the telling a favourite story, where a dark, doomed creature cries "Woe is me!"<br /><br />"Gotten" can come as a very minor shock when, being a British reader, I've heard the book so far told in my head in an English English voice, although I agree about gotten's good linguistic history.<br /><br />Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-62506143891514271242013-08-24T10:04:33.244+01:002013-08-24T10:04:33.244+01:00All very true. It's about finding the right ba...All very true. It's about finding the right balance. On pleasing readers... an editor told me she'd once been sent a page ripped out from one of her author's books with the (historically accurate) swearing underlined and a note written across the top 'They did not use LANGUAGE in the past'. Hey ho.Imogenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08925800621947616280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-4148349021960992282013-08-24T08:43:48.785+01:002013-08-24T08:43:48.785+01:00I really love your blog. Thanks for sharing.
Wome...I really love your blog. Thanks for sharing. <br /><a href="http://cute-arm-candy.myshopify.com/" rel="nofollow">Women's bracelets</a><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13495417689423725755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-87097996873530733552013-08-24T02:57:05.830+01:002013-08-24T02:57:05.830+01:00It is indeed a problem. I think as long as you avo...It is indeed a problem. I think as long as you avoid modern colloquial terms, plain modern English will do in most cases. In some cases you do need the "forsoothery", though I've never used it myself. Ellis Peters was right. And her Brother Cadfael books took me right back to the twelfth century without ever using those "forsoothery" terms, simply by sticking to the culture of the time. Frankly, I don't see any problem with using the word "blanket" in a historical novel. There WERE blankets, whatever they were called and better to make it clear for your readers. Sometimes you do have to be careful; I recently edited a story set on the Ballarat goldfields of the mid-19th century and found a character saying, "bullshit". Both "bull" and "shit" have long pedigrees, but "bullshit" goes back no longer than 1915 and it was a US word anyway. The word jarred, even before I looked it up to make sure. The author agreed and rewrote.Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.com