When should we redefine a term that's used in a different way in the book we're writing?
Let's say I am writing a fantasy book where magic users doesn't use something called "magic", but use something called "Hermetic". Where in the book should we redefine (give a new definition to the word) the word "Hermetic", and should we redefine through a dialogue, through a descriptive passage and what should the POV be when we do it?
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1 answer
Just redefining a word from everyday usage is rarely good. People will always first associate it with their real-life usage. Maybe switch around a few letters to make it a new "fantasy" word.
About defining the term and the POV: that's really up to you and the POV you are already using.
Some authors prefer to just mention the word often in the beginning when people are talking about it. Like with normal language people will pick it up after a few times and realize that it's supposed to mean. Other authors have some kind of narrator that explains what the "new word" means and what the implications are. That's a pretty easy and straighforward way that is also easy to understand for your readers. You could also have some kind of "teacher explains what it means to his student" moment to have this conversation in-character and only observed by the reader. It really depends on what you are already doing. Whatever you do, try to make it clear that you are currently explaining something to the reader. For example by writing the new word in italics when it first appears.
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