A Conversation for Writing Right with Dmitri: Xenoglossophobia
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minorvogonpoet Started conversation Oct 19, 2011
Thanks for this, Dmitri.
I've been writing a story set in France, though most of my main characters are English - and I didn't want them to be too fluent.
I started out thinking the dialogue through in French, on the general principle that, if I didn't know how to say something in French, neither would my characters. But, of course, something that sounds right in French doesn't in English. I've abandoned that policy - too much trouble!
In support of your advice, you might like to look at 'The Poisonwood Bible'. The American family who go to the Congo end up learning some Kikongo.
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Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor Posted Oct 19, 2011
And I'll bet the reader does, too.
If you're thinking about foreigners and French, you might try reading David Sideris. As I recall, he had some very funny bits about his life in France.
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aka Bel - A87832164 Posted Oct 20, 2011
I loved the Poisonwood bible. I do not recall any other language, though.
A glossary would be nice at times. I had to ask Dmitri and google some words which recur frequently in 'Pigeon English' and which I couldn't understand.
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minorvogonpoet Posted Oct 20, 2011
Thanks for the information about David Sidaris, Dmitri. I've got so much that I ought to read at the moment, though.
Bel, I loved the Poisonwood Bible too. It struck me as an ambitious and accomplished book. And there are some words of Kikongo in it. I seem to remember that the title comes from the similarity, in Kikongo, of the words for 'precious' and 'poisonwood'.
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