The Witcher's "OKAY" - Language sins of medieval fantasy
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- čas přidán 23. 06. 2020
- Why it's never okay to say okay!
What language to use in medieval fantasy, how should you talk, like Shakespeare or should you use modern slang? Well, saying "okay" in fantasy takes a lot of people out of their immersion; it's jarring. Remember: every time somebody says okay in medieval fantasy, a kitten dies.
This takes me back to my role-playing days in NWN1, including a glossary of archaic and poetic terms for the role-players which I wrote. I also talk about The n00b (the noob) comic book and how it makes fun of role-players and when they try to sound Shakespearean.
Glossary of archaic and poetic words for fantasy writers: larpushka.blogspot.com/p/glos... - Krátké a kreslené filmy
In episode 5 they use the expression "off the grid" which is usually associated with electricity.
Nice catch!
"Oww what's up man, damn son you a knight? Ok that is just fine my man!"
I couldn't agree more, it's unfortunate when writers can't take the time to be more aware of these things. Especially since Geralt says "fine" about a billion times in TW3... Also, where can I get a copy of that glossary?? That sounds truly brilliant
Oh right! There you go: docs.google.com/document/d/1mKKbIgLiwn9B9ag_sKljbatTySvt8vMg2ZpJA7v_ZtU/edit?usp=sharing
@@Larpushka This is actually beyond brilliant, thank you! So many of those archaic little words I never think of like "overmuch", "goodly", "nigh", and I always forget about "whoreson", Geralt's favorite insult. I'm going to enjoy role-playing that much more now. :)
If you're wondering, in the original Polish books the language used was old-fashioned. Not archaic, but definitely not modern either. The word "okay" also exists in Polish (spelled "okej"), but it wasn't used until 1990's.
Somehow I had no doubt a respectable fantasy writer got it right in Polish. I would also define Tolkein's writing too as "not archaic, but definitely not modern either", the perfect combination. And I think "okay" exists in practically every language these days, it doesn't feel like an English word anymore but a globalized word. It exists in Hebrew (אוקיי) and Russian (окай) too
Although I agree with the statement you made about "okay". The Book Henry the V isn't really medieval it took place in the early renaissance. Henry the V was born in 1386 to 1422. Just a little food for thought.
We were always thought that the modern age begun with the discovery of America in 1492 which means it is still medieval. I would also say the exact dates in this example do not matter too much. Most people consider medieval any European setting without modern technology.
If I see a battle done with swords and not guns I consider it medieval, but even if you're technically right about the "medieviality" status of it, it's really about the language Shakespeare used and what we associate more with medieval. The actual English used in 1400 was Middle English so not really practical for the modern day English speaker; early modern English is more like a good compromise that 'feels' old.
1415 is very much medieval. If you are making the cut off so early some of the most quintessential medieval elements such as Knights in plate armour is effectively not medieval. The Renaissance isn't really a distinct period in of itself. There is medieval and early modern. I'd characterise the medieval period running up to about 1500. Though when it ends would vary depending on the aream
Verily!
All medieval fantasy should be in middle English. Or the respective medieval languages of the setting, including the prose it would be great.
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Nice analysis. Your mannerisms are kind of funny, but in an endearing sort of way. The show has many flaws. Not just beginner-level oversights regarding language, but with pacing, tone, characters, props, casting, etc too.
The show was obviously hijacked by an unqualified writer who was more interested in pushing a political agenda than staying faithful to the source material. As a result, much of the discourse surrounding the show ended up being about politics, and not the actual narrative. Which is a damn shame. The show was a disappointment and I do not plan on watching season 2. But hey, at least it attracted more people to the books.
Yes, don't get me started about the forced diversity there; I wasn't gonna go over all the things Witcher's Netflix got wrong, that would be a whole documentary :P this was a very specific criticism as I had a long-standing beef with "okay", The Witcher is just the hook that got me ranting on this. :)