Writing in English, from the viewpoint of a non-English-speaking character, how can I convey a language very similar to the character's own?
To provide a little background, I'm writing a novel set in a fantasy world, within which there are multiple languages.
I'm applying the rule that any speech the viewpoint character (I'm using subjective third person, by the way) is able to immediately understand is rendered as English, and everything else is written in the original language (as he would hear it).
The trouble is that some characters speak a language that is very similar to the viewpoint character's own language. It's not close enough that he'd understand every word, but he could probably get a rough idea of what they mean.
My question is, how can I convey this (in the sense of putting the reader in the character's head) as clearly and simply as possible?
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1 answer
Two methods I can think of:
1) The character says or thinks what he's understood.
"So you want me to go to the hut in the forest and kill the wizard?"
He listened as the elders discussed the situation. Do they really want me to go into the Black Forest and take out the sorcerer who's cursed the whole kingdom? He wasn't sure if he was up for that.
2) The narration summarizes what the character thinks he's understood.
The elders spoke for a while. He couldn't follow the entire conversation, but he gathered that they wanted him to go into the great forest beyond the village and either incapacitate or kill the sorcerer who had cursed the kingdom. He wasn't sure if he was up for that.
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