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Default   #2   Espy Espy is offline
Wanderer
Don't have a serious answer for this as of right now, considering my mental state's not exactly intact, but (-snickers-) the first thing that came to mind is, you're writing a story in an existing language; there's no way to escape the inevitable use of words like that. Least, that's what I think.

And if you do end up using words like "pianoforte" or "chemise", well, you're writing for an audience that's a stranger to the world you've built, and those words are just a means by which to make it easier for /them/ to understand things.

A made-up word here or there in a scifi setting, IMO, is fine. But a whole plethora of made-up words becomes jarring and just sounds...abrasive.

Tangent to your question: For settings in which there's still some resemblance to Earth or humanity, I prefer using words that are based off real languages -- Latin roots, Greek prefixes, etc. Sounds realistic and relatable enough, yet still has a foreign, not-quite-earthly ring to it.

EDIT: I have more thoughts pertaining to this, but, ironically, words are difficult.
STONEWALL WAS A RIOT

Old Posted 04-17-2017, 10:35 PM Reply With Quote