Using Archaic Words ? ?

by Neeraj V Murali
18th April 2014

Does anyone use these in their novels ? ? ?

Replies

Usually no. For example, I have updated King Arthur and Merlin's English to modern day instead of attempting an older style since the story and they are set in the modern day now. However, I did have to make two big exceptions: 1) The ceremony which allows entry to Avalon is ancient, so the words have not changed since it was first written and 2) some parts of it are Latin-ish (as Latin as they can get with Google translate and a double-check), which one of my characters translates as required.

Generally I keep the spells in an old-fashioned style, but not the dialogue.

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Robert
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Robert Gill
20/04/2014

Anyone read Robert Low's 'The Lion Wakes'? He used a lot of medieval Gaelic/French and Latin as well as Scots dialect, and judging from reviews, and the fact he toned it down in the second of the series, it did put a lot of readers off.

If anyone here felt that way about the book, it is worth persevering. After halfway things become a lot clearer! :)

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Jonathan
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Jonathan Hopkins
19/04/2014

I agree with Ritesh, writing is about communication and if your reader has to first get through the language to understand what you are communicating then you may well lose them.

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Mark J
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Mark J Braybrook
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