Incorporating a conlang into a work,

[LWFlouisa]

Does anyone else do this sort of thing in their writing? I'm currently developing a Romance language conlang that's a fusion of Japanese and French. There is a specific reasons the constructed language looks as it does. Although I never used it in story except in a short story here and there. ( In the original conceptual, it was just French and Japanese words used side by side, rather than fused.)

Are there ways of incorporating that, without boring or annoying the readers?

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Use it sparsely and occasionally (ancient lost language that nobody understands, language of some stuck up Elves, etc., etc., something along that line) if don't have POV changes. After all, I don't want to play traducteur while reading.

 

[LWFlouisa]

Use it sparsely and occasionally (ancient lost language that nobody understands, language of some stuck up Elves, etc., etc., something along that line) if don't have POV changes. After all, I don't want to play traducteur while reading.

I'm not really intending it as a lost language.:p It's the current language people speak.

I guess what I'm really asking is how do I handle as a language that's not suppose to be a dead language. I guess I didn't communicate that.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I'm not really intending it as a lost language.:p It's the current language people speak.

Then it will be a bit tricky. What kind of setting do you have? Because what you can do and how you can lay around depends a lot on that.

 

[LWFlouisa]

Then it will be a bit tricky. What kind of setting do you have? Because what you can do and how you can lay around depends a lot on that.

Ah basically it's a neo-colonial society where it has recently been taken over by both Japanese and French forces, leading to a kind of fused language where it's essentially French, but with a lot of Japanese words.

So for example: Mon nam wa Sarah, means something different from Mon nam es Sarah. As well as: eso ton sonwa or eso toi sont.

The constructed language is around 725 words or so, but I might end up expanding it.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Why I am suddenly thinking about Gate: And thus the Frenchies fought!

Anyway, in that case I would use a clueless protagonist to gradually introduce us readers to this gibberish language while the topic slowly disappears into the background.

 

[binarysoap]

I also plan on introducing a foreign language into my writing, although rather than an actual conlang, it's more like a slightly modified version of an actual language. The context is some girl gets isekai'd and instead of her getting a language cheat or the residents coincidentally speak English, she has no idea what the heck everyone else is saying.

The question is, should I footnote translate everything, or let the reader empathize with the MC and leave them in the dark? If it makes a difference, the story is in first person. Eventually when the MC (and therefore the reader) learns the minor modifications I did to the language, the reader should be able to go back to the earlier chapters and google translate everything. Or should I footnote translate only the important bits and have the other dialogue be Easter eggs for the readers who actually try to learn? Eventually, once the MC masters the language, I plan to just type all of the foreign language in English with <> or something to denote the difference.

 

[LWFlouisa]

I also plan on introducing a foreign language into my writing, although rather than an actual conlang, it's more like a slightly modified version of an actual language. The context is some girl gets isekai'd and instead of her getting a language cheat or the residents coincidentally speak English, she has no idea what the heck everyone else is saying.

The question is, should I footnote translate everything, or let the reader empathize with the MC and leave them in the dark? If it makes a difference, the story is in first person. Eventually when the MC (and therefore the reader) learns the minor modifications I did to the language, the reader should be able to go back to the earlier chapters and google translate everything. Or should I footnote translate only the important bits and have the other dialogue be Easter eggs for the readers who actually try to learn? Eventually, once the MC masters the language, I plan to just type all of the foreign language in English with <> or something to denote the difference.

I'd say it depends honestly, for anyone who hasn't read it A Clockwork Orange comes to mind with Nadsat. Depending how whether something is entirely in the language ( think the status of English before it became, well English ) or if it's just a few words, you could maybe do a small dictionary of frequently used terms.

( I've done poetry in a conlang, although that's generally intended for experienced Hafestra readers. )

 

[DaoFox]

There is a Youtuber who goes into a great deal about Conlangs and using them in your own works. It's highly recommended to give his video's a look and see what advice you can pick up from him.

Biblaridion

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Does anyone else do this sort of thing in their writing? I'm currently developing a Romance language conlang that's a fusion of Japanese and French. There is a specific reasons the constructed language looks as it does. Although I never used it in story except in a short story here and there. ( In the original conceptual, it was just French and Japanese words used side by side, rather than fused.)

Are there ways of incorporating that, without boring or annoying the readers?

Basically only use it as terms of endearment. And make it sound short and sweet. How sherilyn kenyon does with her Simi character calling her "father" Akra....or is it Akri? One of them. Using it too much or in long sentences can be off putting. Giving short examples, and then just describing them use their "thick, guttural tongue" would be easier and better in my opinion.

I know I never really bother to read made up languages, at least. I would learn words or phrases if the phrases we're funny ones tho.