Opened up my newspaper the other day (you know, one of the days when my newspaper delivery man actually gives me a complete paper, on time). And I saw this (on the front page, no less):
Athhilezar? Watch Your Fantasy World Language
I wondered how long it would be before the Times got back to publishing things with some connection to George R.R. Martin.
Seriously, though...I just can't get into the constructed language thing. (My boyfriend likes this stuff, is even trying his hand at making up one of his own...he's been at it for years.) I appreciate that it takes effort and a knowledge of linguistics so you don't end up making up something that sounds stupid. But my feeling is, unless you are describing a concept or object that doesn't have an English equivalent, you can just use English words. (We should assume that in a fantasy society, if it actually existed, they wouldn't actually be speaking English, and you're writing a translation of sorts.)
Anyway, in the Song of Ice and Fire books, there's not a fully-constructed, widely-used Dothraki language, and I'm grateful for that.
Side note: My newspaper delivery guy regularly shows up late. Sometimes not at all. When he is on time, his car stereo is way too loud for a residential area at 6AM. Sometimes he delivers me a paper missing sections. Sometimes he actually gives me the wrong paper (Atlanta Journal-Constitution instead of the New York Times). Sometimes he delivers me a paper on the weekend (I have a Monday through Friday subscription, can't afford the whole week on a grad student stipend). Sometimes he delivers two papers. I have a problem at least once a week, sometimes twice. So am I giving him anything in the self-addressed (but not stamped) envelope he stuffed in the plastic sleeve of my paper the other day? I think not. (I honestly wish they'd fire the guy -- I'm sure in this economy there'd be a line of people who'd snap up the chance for income in a second, and do a better job of it.)
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