Post History
It is possible to use multiple languages even if you actually don't by flagging them in dialogue tags. This is good when who speaks what language(s) is important in the narrative. You can put the i...
Answer
#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T01:17:13Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/6289 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
by
staticsan
·
2019-12-08T01:17:13Z (almost 5 years ago)
It is possible to use multiple languages even if you actually don't by flagging them in dialogue tags. This is good when who speaks what language(s) is important in the narrative. You can put the inter-language confusion in the dialogue and the speakers' actions. You can also use this to play with mis-translation, either deliberate or incidental. If you know what you're doing, you can also use idioms differently to subtly indicate a different langauge. For example, in one of my fantasy worlds, I characterise one of my languages by limiting contractions and by repeating verbs in a way that is not usually done in casual English. This technique as also a good out if the languages are fictional, or if you, the author, don't actually speak one of them.
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2012-08-31T03:51:13Z (about 12 years ago)
Original score: 7