Re: About language
Don DAmmassa <[email protected]> Tue, 6 Mar 2018 13:21:42 -0500
| Newsgroups | gmane.culture.sf.literature |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <20180306182141.YZSF11711.eastrmfepo101.cox.net@eastrmimpo110.cox.net> |
--_6416CD23-9531-4C54-94D5-21D1C00E4DD1_ Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" They wouldn=E2=80=99t be speaking English at all. It=E2=80=99s being transl= ated for us, and it=E2=80=99s perfectly all right to use slang or idiomatic= phrases because they would probably be doing the same in whatever language= they do speak. Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Charley Seavey Sent: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 9:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: About language I realize this is more about fantasy literature than SF, but you lot are th= e gang I know. Both fantasy and SF have to create, and maintain, credibly consistent unive= rses, within certain boundaries. Part of that, it seems to me, is avoiding = anachronisms, or linguistic tags to a certain time, or place. An Americanis= m like "No Way!" or other contemporary word structures, are out of place in= times or places other than the here and now. I get seriously=C2=A0irritated by the use of the word "okay" in created uni= verses where it is simply out of place. The most egregious example is the m= ovie Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. And yes, it has a lot of other fooli= shness in it, but it is a fantasy. But the consistent use of okay- a 19th c= entury Americanism- is wildly out of place in a medieval central European s= etting.=C2=A0 I am currently reading an otherwise excellent fantasy novel- multi layered,= interesting characters, pretty clearly not on this earth, and I have no id= ea how it it is going to end- low on the predictability scale, which is alw= ays a good thing. I'm maybe a fourth of the way into the book, and twice al= ready the word okay has been used. To me this is just sloppy writing. Or, maybe I'm just an old grouch on the topic. Any thoughts? --=20 Charley Desert Sailor --_6416CD23-9531-4C54-94D5-21D1C00E4DD1_ Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" <html xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w=3D"urn:sc= hemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/of= fice/2004/12/omml" xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta ht= tp-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"><meta name= =3DGenerator content=3D"Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-priority:99; color:#954F72; text-decoration:underline;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --></style></head><body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3D"#954F72"><div cla= ss=3DWordSection1><p class=3DMsoNormal>They wouldn=E2=80=99t be speaking En= glish at all. It=E2=80=99s being translated for us, and it=E2=80=99s perfec= tly all right to use slang or idiomatic phrases because they would probably= be doing the same in whatever language they do speak.</p><p class=3DMsoNor= mal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class= =3DMsoNormal>Sent from <a href=3D"https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId= =3D550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10</p><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p= ></p><div style=3D'mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid= #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'bor= der:none;padding:0in'><b>From: </b><a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]= ">Charley Seavey</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Tuesday, March 6, 2018 9:56 AM<br><b>T= o: </b><a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</= a><br><b>Subject: </b>About language</p></div><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nb= sp;</o:p></p><div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt= ;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>I realize this is more about fantasy = literature than SF, but you lot are the gang I know.<o:p></o:p></span></p><= /div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:= "Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=3D= MsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",ser= if'>Both fantasy and SF have to create, and maintain, credibly consistent u= niverses, within certain boundaries. Part of that, it seems to me, is avoid= ing anachronisms, or linguistic tags to a certain time, or place. An Americ= anism like "No Way!" or other contemporary word structures, are o= ut of place in times or places other than the here and now.<o:p></o:p></spa= n></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-= family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p c= lass=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Rom= an",serif'>I get <i>seriously</i> irritated by the use of the word &qu= ot;okay" in created universes where it is simply out of place. The mos= t egregious example is the movie <i>Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. </i>A= nd yes, it has a lot of other foolishness in it, but it is a fantasy. But t= he consistent use of okay- a 19th century Americanism- is wildly out of pla= ce in a medieval central European setting. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div= ><div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tim= es New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoN= ormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>= I am currently reading an otherwise excellent fantasy novel- multi layered,= interesting characters, pretty clearly not on this earth, and I have no id= ea how it it is going to end- low on the predictability scale, which is alw= ays a good thing. I'm maybe a fourth of the way into the book, and twice al= ready the word okay has been used. To me this is just sloppy writing.<o:p><= /o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18= .0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div= ><div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tim= es New Roman",serif'>Or, maybe I'm just an old grouch on the topic.<o:p></o= :p></span></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0= pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><= div><p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times= New Roman",serif'>Any thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class= =3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=3DMsoNormal>-- </p></div><= p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New = Roman",serif'>Charley<br>Desert Sailor</span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>= </o:p></p></div></body></html>= --_6416CD23-9531-4C54-94D5-21D1C00E4DD1_--