ANCIENT BRITISH Language Help

[darkveils5]

Hi! I am writing a Founders Era fic and the first chapter got rejected because of the way the dialogue is. The moderator says that the dialouge is too modern and should be more like the language of that time. If anyone could help me with this I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks,
Anna

[SiriuslyMental]

Obviously, words like "OK" & "yeah" would not have been used, neither would "nope". Think of films like King Arthur, Tristan + Isolde, even Lord of the Rings. The way they speak to one another would be far closer to the Founders' Era than anything I can think of off the top of my head.


Just so that you know, this would not be considered "Ancient English". The Founders were around 1000 years ago, which would have been the Middle Ages, meaning they would have spoken Middle English, which was actually in many forms, and resembles (in the use of certain characters, such as ð and þ, which is representative of "th", so þat is that) Icelandic in some ways, both stemming from Germanic languages.

[lain]

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php

I use this in Marauder-Era quite a bit to make sure phrases I’m using (or that writers are using) existed in the time frame at hand. Historical writers should also have this handy.

Vindictus Viridian posted this link in our Charms class. It should help!

[darkveils5]

Thanks very much! Yes, I've been thinking about maybe looking into King Arthur to get some ideas! Thanks again.

[Doctor Phoenix]

Obviously, you can't write exactly like they did a thousand years ago, because we don't speak Old English anymore. Old English is completely illegible to us nowadays. King Arthur and the Lord of the Rings are very good examples.
If you use "thee" and "thou," here are some basic grammar concepts:
Thee and thou are only used in the singular. That means one person. Rowena could say to Salazar, "Thou art insufferable," but if she were talking to Salazar and Godric, she'd say, "You are insufferable."
Thou and you are subjects; they do things. Example: Thou art killing me!
Thee and ye are objects; things are done to them. Example: I am killing thee!
Thy is the singular form of your...unless it comes before a vowel. Then it becomes thine. Thy book, thine apple. Thine also means yours.

[Poppet]

If you're still looking for help (and I realise that the last post was ages ago ), then try looking at Shakespeare. Although he invented a load of words that we use today (like assassin, for example), he wrote his plays in Middle English. just make sure that they are updated ones, or reading them will be pointless for this excercie

[CCCC]

If you're still looking for help (and I realise that the last post was ages ago ), then try looking at Shakespeare. Although he invented a load of words that we use today (like assassin, for example), he wrote his plays in Middle English. just make sure that they are updated ones, or reading them will be pointless for this excercie

Shakespeare was actually early modern rather than middle english.

If you were accurate no-one would understand it, so you're best of just using some well recognised stereotyped ideas of old english and running with that.

[TyrannoLaurus]

*butts in*

I agree with Tom about using modern language but being mindful of the way they would phrase things and perhaps using some of their terms. Last week I read a well acclaimed novel by Elizabeth Chadwick set in the 12thC and she used uber modern phrases (too modern in my opinion, but if she's published then I can get away with it too right?). They used Old English during that time (which is ever so slightly decipherable, if you ask me. I remember reading part of the Peterbrough Chronicle for my course this year and having a chuckle at how they spelt things). However, it would be even more different 1,000 years ago and I sometimes think it is not worth adding bits of the language and mixing it with modern terms, it just makes for awkward prose.

[kathyhermy123]

Hello!

i just wanted to add that you might want to check on the Lexicon the dates that different spells were created. If a spell was created, say, in 1895, then you know that the Founder's wouldn't have had it in their time, or possibly a less-well developed version.

Good luck!

~Kathy

[KCFantasy]

Another possible point of reference would be looking up old English legal documents from your time frame online. The wording would be very proper, but it might give you some ideas.