Changing how you talk when speaking another language

OOC General Discussion

Moderators: Forum Moderators, Active DMs

Post Reply
let it trip
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 9:13 pm

Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by let it trip » Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:41 pm

Just curious if anyone roleplays this sort of thing? Obviously it is by nooooo meansss a requirement at all, but I personally do find it pretty fancy and quite thoughtful when, for example, a half-orc may talk like a poet in Orcish but not other tongues, or a paladin may talk with a Latin or Shakespearean vibe in Celestial to give it an ancient exoticism and mystery or old timey feel. You've also got things like accents or vocabulary.

NPC Logger Number 2
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:56 am

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by NPC Logger Number 2 » Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:45 pm

It is a nice touch for RP. A half-elf might speak Common fluently as everyone else but speak elven a bit clumsily. While a full-blooded elf might speak elven like Shakespear but Common like Forrest Gump. Dwarves could have an accent in Common but not Dwarven. etc. Of course all of this is completely optional but I do appreciate when other players put in that little bit of extra effort to increase everyone's immersion.
“The punishing of wits enhances their authority.”
Francis Bacon

Best Rich Face
Posts: 53
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2020 4:34 am

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Best Rich Face » Wed Jun 24, 2020 6:16 pm

I do this, but it varies from character to character, and language to language.

And you know, sometimes I forget to do it in a given post and then feel bad.

User avatar
Aradin
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 363
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 10:26 pm

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Aradin » Wed Jun 24, 2020 6:36 pm

Totally, I've always liked it. I've known a few characters who do this, and my ogre does this himself: fluent & solid no-nonsense phrasing in Giant, outrageous ogrey slang in Common & Undercommon. Takes a bit o' knacky rack ta get used ta figgerin', but once yaz weeks deep in chattin' dis way dem words is comin' out real easy!

Was Lloyd Grimm, Sai Aung-K'yi, Stink Spellworped, Ikarus, and Revyn the White.


User avatar
NMan7496
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Posts: 175
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2019 7:43 pm
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by NMan7496 » Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:00 pm

I take extra care not to use English slang, colloquialisms, and contractions when speaking other languages, as they really wouldn't translate properly.
Characters:
- Eleanor Allias, Paladin of Selûne

Former:
- Mather Allias, Elrith Ferein, Simone Beregnor-Springscar, Thalia Loreas

User avatar
Flower Power
Posts: 493
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 8:02 am

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Flower Power » Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:07 pm

I do this pretty regularly on most of my characters. Some of my halflings (and most of my dwarves) have been more or less incomprehensible in Common, but perfectly clear in their native tongue.
what would fred rogers do?

User avatar
Ninjimmy
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 8:40 pm

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Ninjimmy » Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:58 am

Mixed opinions on it,

The half elf who wasn't raised very Elven has a faltering different tone to their words and a terrible accent even if they do speak it fluently, meanwhile the wizard who's got 4-5 languages under their belt sounds the same across them because they knows how to properly approximate their usual speech patterns in the new language (or does by 100% at least).

Since the text is always "translated" I figure colloquialisms, contractions and the like stand because any unique elements or idioms will be "translated" into an appropriate one for the language.
Playing:
Olwin (AKA Olicoros Vrozt Akael Shilligg Jugem Dojj Winzalfur AKA That £$%^ing Wizard)

User avatar
Kuma
Arelith Supporter
Arelith Supporter
Posts: 2188
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 5:05 pm
Location: Melbourne

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Kuma » Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:56 am

i am a huge fan of this and do it wherever possible. I also prefer doing the same while teaching languages, conveying that certain languages may have an easier time with certain concepts - Infernal might be light on contractions and very good at describing horrible things, Undercommon might struggle with philosophy, or it might only be possible to fully understand Elven poetry in Elven; translations seeming stilted or mechanical.
Ninjimmy wrote:
Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:58 am
Since the text is always "translated" I figure colloquialisms, contractions and the like stand because any unique elements or idioms will be "translated" into an appropriate one for the language.
The text is translated for convenience, but it is absolutely something to promote in RP using idioms, references, allusions, and wordplay relevant to the culture to which the language belongs (or using 'wrong' versions in the 'wrong' language to come across as weird). "100% fluency" doesn't mean native speaker.

House Freth: Reference Information
House Claddath: Reference Information
"What's a heretic?": a guide to religious schism terminology

Irongron wrote:

4. No full screen images of the NWN gnome model (might frighten the children)


User avatar
Skibbles
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Posts: 1285
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 6:25 am

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Skibbles » Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:10 am

Lots of people do this, but my favorite is dwarves/duergar that write with their accent fully scribed to the page.
Irongron wrote: [...] the super-secret Arelith development roadmap is a post apocalyptic wasteland populated with competing tribes of hand-bombard wielding techno-giants, and strewn with the bones of long dead elves.

So we're very much on track.

Aleilsum Ellrum
Arelith Gold Supporter
Arelith Gold Supporter
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 4:32 pm

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Aleilsum Ellrum » Fri Jun 26, 2020 6:34 pm

Yes, partly due to RL experience.

Being half-fluent in another language leads to some really quite interesting misunderstandings, some of which can be funny and some of which can lead to embarassing situations. Being half-fluent is *far* more than just an accent. It leads to people thinking they understand, but don't, which can have some interesting (read highly inconvenient) consequences. It gets in the way of forming friendships, because clear communication is essential to friendship. It can lead to laughter. It can lead to huge problems with immigration and bureaucracy, which has significant impact.

User avatar
Kenji
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Posts: 1496
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 9:14 am
Location: Mechanics Dungeon

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Kenji » Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:32 am

This is basically how I do my characters all the time, but what Kuma's doing is next level, one I wish to eventually know the setting well enough to be able to mimic.

User avatar
darthkitteh
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 9:19 pm

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by darthkitteh » Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:56 am

When I played Yashara, she would mainly speak Draconic, her natural kobold langauge.
But when she spoke any other language, especially common, she would have a lot more tssskkk to the words, as it wasnt natural for her to speak them.

Greatinggssss human, sssssshe wont harm him.... today... *evil grin*
Melodia Tsukiko ~ This Soonnnggg is as loonggg as a Skaljard Summer! *She ends with a sudden strike in tune of the notes, once and END*

good man of god
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 175
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:26 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by good man of god » Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:56 am

I do this if the character calls for it, for sure!

Matthew Daressin-Gravelle spoke with inflections in Common, but much more smoothly in Undercommon, having been raised in Andunor and mainly interacting with drow, etc.

Equally, a random druid elf alt I had once was a wild elf, so spoke very broken Common, fairly decent Elven, and was able to express himself fluently in Animal Language.

It's a nice twist of flavour to add to a character!

Previous:
Tornius Daressin
Matthew Daressin-Gravelle
Asvusha (Blake Lynk)
Sebastian Webster

Current:
Inkwell Thornwhisper


User avatar
Miaou
Posts: 519
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2015 5:56 am

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Miaou » Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:05 pm

I do this! For all of my characters. It differs from one to the other.

Common is accented, Luric is choppy, Elven is without flaw and lacking contractions, and celestial is with added ye olde words.

My other tends to have choppy common and undercommon, though speaks normally in infernal.



I remember one half-orc that could barely speak common, but could speak perfectly fine in orc, or when given an int buff. It was awesome. I wish more people played around with concepts like these.

let it trip
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 9:13 pm

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by let it trip » Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:37 pm

Miaou wrote:
Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:05 pm

I remember one half-orc that could barely speak common, but could speak perfectly fine in orc, or when given an int buff. It was awesome. I wish more people played around with concepts like these.
There was a character who did a really great slightly over the top expression on it such as their common words were also written out reeeeelleee badlee lYYkke SoMETimes I THINk they did this GOBLin TRICK tooo buurt moostly it wuuz long yooos and weez and stuff, but Orcish was incredibly polite, English major level vocabularly, perfect grammar, everything.

malcolm_mountainslayer
Posts: 1043
Joined: Thu May 16, 2019 5:08 am

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by malcolm_mountainslayer » Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:12 pm

let it trip wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:37 pm
Miaou wrote:
Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:05 pm

I remember one half-orc that could barely speak common, but could speak perfectly fine in orc, or when given an int buff. It was awesome. I wish more people played around with concepts like these.
There was a character who did a really great slightly over the top expression on it such as their common words were also written out reeeeelleee badlee lYYkke SoMETimes I THINk they did this GOBLin TRICK tooo buurt moostly it wuuz long yooos and weez and stuff, but Orcish was incredibly polite, English major level vocabularly, perfect grammar, everything.
I have debated doing the opposite on a high int goblin. Because a lot goblins speak said grammar in goblin and perhaps it's not that they are speaking poor goblin, but that's the literal grammar of goblin and said mindset comes out when speaking other languages much like accents. For example, skipping extra words that help the flow of a sentence vs "skip words, make speech faster" could even be viewed as an issue of effeciency.If goblins can fill in the context and understand with less words, why waste more time on their already short lived lives.

User avatar
ChrisY
Posts: 50
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:05 pm

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by ChrisY » Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:27 pm

I do this.

For my trog he speaks normally in Draconic, being his natural tongue.
When speaking common or undercommon, his speech follows the stereotypical reptile speech of dragging and "s" sounds.

Also, I try to avoid using "oh", as I see it as a very mammal thing. "Tssk" becomes his default reaction phrase. Of course the intonation will determine if he is angry/surprised/irritated, etc.

Brandon Steel
Posts: 147
Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 8:51 pm

Re: Changing how you talk when speaking another language

Post by Brandon Steel » Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:31 pm

I always do it with my goblins. Goblin for the most part is pretty straight forward and without effort, but with common I’ll speak strangely and struggle with words.

Post Reply