MEME: Linguistics

[citycouncil]

Prompted by a conversation on Twitter, let's take a look at the linguistic choices behind the way our characters speak! NERDS. Here are a few prompts, but feel free to talk about anything you feel like with regards to language and your characters.

Where and when are they from originally?
What is their accent?
Do they curse? Under what circumstances?
What influences the way they speak?
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon?
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow?
What slang do they use, if any?
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue?
What else should we know about how they speak?

Let's talk about talking.

Comments

[shok_ebasit_hissra]

Where and when are they from originally? Par Vollen
What is their accent? faded Qunari, which comes across in the way he enunciates vowels sometimes, or the way he'll growl certain letter combinations.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Sure does! He's picked up cursing in several languages, including Qunlat, Tevene, Orlesian, Ferelden, and some Elvish dialects. He's picked up more since coming to Darrow. He'll curse when he's in pain or having a good time. Bull does not typically curse when angry.
What influences the way they speak? Bull has spent most of his life away from his people, and has spent 10 years as a spy. Because of this, he tends to pick up language wherever he is to try to fit in more linguistically, since he will never fit in physically. Language also tells one a lot about a culture, so he's naturally interested.
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Bull has probably picked up different colloquialisms and tries them out on occasion, but other than that, his language has not changed significantly.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Probably not? Other than new and fun ways to cuss.
What slang do they use, if any? Bull will occasionally pepper his dialogue with Qunlat, which isn't all necessarily slang, but is generally a complex and symbolic language.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Bull flirts, he uses puns, and the way he understands the world comes from the Qun, and that effects how he talks to people.
What else should we know about how they speak? Seriously. This guy.

Just listen to this asshole.

[deflectere]

Where From? Alec was born in Idris, a country hidden from the view of mundanes. While Downworlders are allowed inside of Idris, they typically have to get permission from the Clave which means the country is very, very exclusive and that plays into a lot of how Alec talks.

Accent: His accent is typical American, nothing special about that. His family lived there for a few years of his life before they were exiled and then Alec lived in Manhattan but only went outside of the Institute on missions.

Influences on Language: Both being born in a Shadowhunter exclusive country and being around only Shadowhunters basically turned Alec into a biased, egotistical Nephilim for a long time. He oftentimes referred to those who were supernatural in some way as Downworlder (or werewolf/vampire/warlock) instead of their name because that's what he heard growing up. He thought that was how he was supposed to talk to those who, in his eyes, were less. He's managed to drop that habit but he has not stopped calling regular humans mundanes and he doesn't really see why he should either.

Differences in Vocabulary/Cursing/Slang: The only real vocabulary differences are the use of things like 'Angel' and 'by the Angel' when he's surprised/shocked/frustrated/etc. It's a version of cursing though Alec does use regular mundane curses as well.

Things I Remember: Alec's very spare with his words though he's gotten a little better at being talkative. I still keep in mind that he shouldn't be beating around the bush, that he should be brutally honest even if he knows it's going to suck to say.

[quinientos]

Where and when are they from originally? Vasquez is from 1879 at departure point, but born about thirty years before that in Texas (aka, Mexico)

What is their accent? Mexican

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? He swears a ridiculous amount, though usually in Spanish. When he's in the middle of a fight, it's not very nice (and that's excepting the worst of it).

What influences the way they speak? He speaks English fluently, but there are still times when he adds an extra vowel on the end or his accent is heavier than usual because he doesn't actually care if he makes a few mistakes.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? He's picked up more modern slang and his accent is fading a little, though not tons. It's probably closer to Manuel's actual voice lately.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? He's loving him some modern swearing!

What slang do they use, if any? The most slang he uses is casual Spanish cursing that he learned from his childhood.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Mainly that it is accented, so the cadence might be different and to watch some of the slang (see below for the rhythm thing).

What else should we know about how they speak? There's some passion in them there words.

[a_littlefaith]

THIS IS FUN. :D

Where and when are they from originally?
Georgia, 2014.

What is their accent?
Beth has a bit of a Southern accent, not overly thick, but very noticeable.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances?
Rarely. When she curses, it's usually to make a point and she doesn't even say things like 'oh my god' very often. The word 'fuck' almost NEVER comes out of her, but she'll say things like 'bullshit' or 'asshole' if she's mad.

What influences the way they speak?
Religion in a way still has a hold on what she chooses to say (which is why there's very rarely mention of god in her dialogue) and she tends to keep in mind she spends a lot of time around a toddler who will probably be all too happy to repeat any bad words she decides to say. She's also still a little shy, so she has difficulty saying certain words, especially when it comes to anything sexual.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon?
Hmm, I don't think it's changed a lot, no. She's a little more free with what she does say here. While she still doesn't curse a lot, she's not as conscious of things she might have once been, like which words might upset her parents. She's an adult now, she worries about that a lot less.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue?
I try to keep in mind the way she drops the g at the end of a lot of words like 'doing' or 'something'. She also uses 'gotta' and 'wanna' rather than the separate words 'got to' and 'want to'. Beth doesn't pause or stumble over her words much in canon, so I try to stay away from that.

What else should we know about how they speak?
HER VOICE IS CUTE.

[intheruins]

THE CUTEST

[butstill]

Where and when are they from originally? Yekaterinburg, Russia, just east of the Ural Mountains, where he grew up in the 1900s and 1910s, until joining the Red Army in late 1918/early 1919.
What is their accent? Russian! To anyone who would notice such things, probably identifiable as rural/definitely not high-class, though he's more recently spent time in bigger cities.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? A little, usually under his breath/otherwise unnoticeably. He'll also always do so in Russian, regardless of what language is being spoken in conversation. Partly this is because of his obviously PG-aimed canon — I assume he probably swore more freely when he was in in the Army — and partly because of formerly holding a public position.
What influences the way they speak? Era, mainly, which I trip myself up on a lot — like, I'll write something and then be like, wait, was that a saying then? Darrow, without which he wouldn't be speaking English at all. He's typically very careful, very retrained, which comes across in the way he speaks, not least because he's used to receiving and following orders.
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Well, he speaks English now, for one (unless otherwise noted, or with Anya). This does not in fact differ from canon, which is in English even though they're clearly supposed to be speaking Russian, but he also carries himself and thus speaks differently than he used to when he was a Deputy Commissioner — he still has the bearings of a soldier, but his speech is just a little more easygoing, less inclined to be brusque or angry or snappish.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Not yet! Dude is still pretty set in his ways, plus the person he's closest to is also from his own time, so while he has a growing awareness of contemporary language changes and slang and whatnot, he hasn't actually adopted any of them yet. That said, he's fairly young, so it's probably only a matter of time before he starts inadvertently picking some things up.
What slang do they use, if any? I know jack shit about Russian slang in the '20s — I only know 28 days' worth of Duolingo lessons of Russian at all — so uh, if anyone knows anything about this, feel free to let me know! Also, will very, very rarely reference God, even as an exclamation; there's the occaaaasional oh, my god, but don't expect to hear it very often.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? The accent, of course — I was recently blessed with an entire show of Ramin Karimloo speaking with a Russian accent, so, uh, that's been helpful — and the cadence/phrasing of the language itself.
What else should we know about how they speak? IDK. Anyone who speaks Russian should come speak Russian with him.

[daughterofawolf]

This might help you! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_(Russian_profanity)

Also, because I like finding these things out too:
- https://little-details.livejournal.com/3272456.html
- https://little-details.livejournal.com/3134520.html
- https://little-details.livejournal.com/3488009.html (later, but might work similarly)

[morning_knight]

Where From? Cassius is from Mars, that big red planet that hangs in the sky. It's the best planet in his opinion. But, it's a safe bet to say he's been to most of the planets in the solar system save for a few.

Accent/Cursing: His accent probably sounds like haughty, precise British. His words are sharp, cutting, and he can use them like weapons when he wants to. Some people are used to that and some people are not. People will sometimes see him as all bark, no bite but trust me, he is just as good with his razor as he is with his mouth.

Slang/Influences: In the world of Red Rising, Golds have their own separate slang. While Cassius is more than happy to use regular ole curse words, he's more partial to things like gorydamn and slag. He's also very cruel with his words sometimes, something I'm careful about. He has no issue with calling a woman something like 'whore' or 'cunt' because he is just that kind of jerkhole.

Things I Keep In Mind: Cassius is one of mine that refuses to really let go of where he's from so while he will use regular curse words, he's not going to let go of where he's from either. He's a Gold and he will talk like a Gold for as long as he lives (so no one kill him).

[womanofvalue]

Where and when are they from originally? Peggy hails from the 1940's, born in 1921 in England!

What is their accent? She's got a proper upper middle class British accent.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Not thoroughly, though in a stressful situation, she's quick to a 'bloody nora'.

What influences the way they speak? There's a lot of education that impacts Peggy's speech patterns and accent that she doesn't even think about anymore because it's simply inbred into her habits. Her education and social class has mostly shaped that.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Very little to anything at all. She's been stubbornly holding onto the strength of her accent through New York and LA and she doesn't intend to let Darrow weaken it any.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Not so much, as she tends to hate texting and won't use modern slang if she can help it.

What slang do they use, if any? The majority is from the 40's, things she might have picked up with the Howlies, or while in the SSR offices.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? That Peggy has a sort of sharp, clipped rhythm of speaking, like staccato. There's a lot of emphasis and firm weight on her words, with very deliberate choosing of them. She doesn't meander much unless thrown off guard.

What else should we know about how they speak? It heightens to eleven on the enjoyment scale when she's teasing Howard Stark?
"Who's a good boy?" indeed.

[ssrsousa]

I just watched the interrogation scene again. She's so good in that.

[butterfly_knives]

From: Taipei, Taiwan in a future where the poor suffer terribly and the rich are protected from both the poisonous environment of Taipei and the poor who are sick because of that environment. Zhou's one of the poor.

Accent: Taiwanese. His English is fairly good but he will have a very obvious accent and some of his words will be clipped. He also has a tendency to lapse into Mandarin right in the middle of a conversation before going right back to English.

Cursing/Slang: He's absolutely up for cursing though he's not one to do it often. It often takes an extreme situation for him to curse. Same for slang. He's more likely to lapse into Mandarin than to use any sort of slang.

Influences: Zhou will often speak badly about those with money because he comes from a place where those without money are severely oppressed. He's gotten a little better about recognizing that the wealthy in Darrow do not equal the wealthy in Taipei. Anything that requires money is oftentimes something that Zhou will shy away from because he doesn't remember that he has money.

Also, he is completely enamored by colors. Taipei was a very washed out city because of the pollution so he wants to see colors, talk about colors. He reads a ton and he will sometimes compare what he reads about landscapes in books to what he sees in front of him. So, when he talks about the sky or the grass, his voice might take on a hint of wonder and enthrallment that won't be there any other time.

[roartonrisen]

Where and when are they from originally? Kieren's from Roarton, 2009.

What is their accent? Northern English.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? For Kieren, it takes a heightened emotional state for him to curse, but he's not going to hold back once he's there.

What influences the way they speak? For Kieren, it's completely where he grew up. He never left Roarton, so the only accent or language or style he's ever known is the one around him.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Most likely, not much. He was old enough that it was pretty well set in and he likes his accent, so he's trying not to lose it.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? He totes tries to be like the cool kids! jk, he's picked up a few terms, mostly magical ones thanks to Sirius, but other than that, steady on.

What slang do they use, if any? The slang he does use is related to his former PDS condition, so lots of acronyms and drug terms and denigration relating to that.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Mostly that because he's got the Northern English accent, the emphasis on words often hits at the end of a sentence and Kieren in particular sometimes ends with a higher octave than the beginning, his voice lifting through the sentence.

What else should we know about how they speak? He's a precious former zombie dead boy, that's all anyone ever needs to know.

[andhiswife]

Where and when are they from originally? A long time ago, in a far away land.
What is their accent? English, fairly close to RP but leaning just a touch towards a kind of generic working class un-posh-ness.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Sometimes, when particularly stressed or disgusted. She usually goes with 'bloody,' but I hope to one day come up with a suitable excuse for her to say 'fuck.' Let Greta Say Fuck 2k??
What influences the way they speak? Greta's a product of her somewhat loose fairy tale time and social status, but she's also from a Sondheim show. So she usually has a lot of words to say, if only internally, but not in a manner that's too flowery. I like to sneak in references to the show when I can swing it. Reprises are a thing, too.
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? She's picked up some modern vocabulary, though it hasn't really worked its way into her slang, yet. She's not consciously trying to hold on to her speech patterns from home, but they were never all that archaic to begin with, so she can get by just fine without making any big adjustments.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Not really, aside from the vocabulary words. I think it'll take a bit longer for anything new to sink in, especially since the people she spends the most time with are either children or also kind of old-fashioned.
What slang do they use, if any? She uses 'for goodness sake' a lot, mostly because good versus nice is kind of a Theme in her canon.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Avoiding those modern idioms!
What else should we know about how they speak? She can sing so pretty!

[du_vallon]

Where and when are they from originally? Originally, Paris in the 1630's.

What is their accent? Contrary to what is heard, Porthos is actually speaking French for the majority of things, but given his low birth in the Court of Miracles, it's peppered with slang and isn't as refined as say, the King and Queen.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? All the time, what can he say, he's hardly a gentleman.

What influences the way they speak? Being raised in the Court meant that his French was always iffy, though he self-taught himself a lot of things, including a little bit improved speech.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? He learned English, which he barely know at all when he arrived. He's likely still got a hint of a French accent when he speaks, but it vanishes for the most part. He still speaks French at home with Aramis, but it's English with any of his friends unless they ask otherwise. It is that Howard Charles accented English, to make it simpler.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Again, the English here.

What slang do they use, if any? Not much? Mostly jovial teasing slang, if anything.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? I just catch myself reminding myself that he's speaking French originally, not the English accent I hear.

What else should we know about how they speak? I just wanted to make you watch Musketeers actors talk about beards. ALSO, HOWARD CHARLES HAS AN ADORABLE GIGGLE. PROOF: It's precious. His actual laugh is a deep booming thing, but Howard, you're a good one.

[femmejosephine]

I've never asked, but I sort of assume that Nikita and Porthos speak French as often as English since she's fluent.

[nabooqueen]

Where and when are they from originally? Naboo
What is their accent? Padmé's got a very faded Mid-Rim accent, which in practical terms is a standard American accent.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Very rarely, and almost never outside her own head. If she ever did, it would be in super extreme circumstances, and she'd still be using Star Wars-y curses. Because that's a thing.
What influences the way they speak? Her history as a politician means she tends to choose her words carefully, so she often speaks very... deliberately, I guess would be the word for it. Not a lot of hesitation or ummms or anything, unless she's taken aback or in the grips of some serious emotion.
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Not a whole lot, actually! It's maybe a touch less formal now, but it's by and large the same as it ever was.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? None that I can think of.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? She speaks like a normal 21st century adult, but a little bit more formal - I try to use words and phrasing that people do use, and that wouldn't be weird to hear in a casual conversation, but are maybe a little bit more proper or formal? Very Richard Campbell Gansey III, and all that.
What else should we know about how they speak> It's not something any pups would have reason to know, but she did a significantly more stylized accent when she was queen and I think she starts lapsing back into that a bit when she's annoyed in professional situations.

[artoflove]

Where and when are they from originally? Mexico City, in the early 2010's, but his father is from Spain, so that influences his accent.

What is their accent? Whenever he's with Hernando alone, it's Spanish. When he's speaking English, it's heavily accented with influences from both Spain and Mexico City.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? I'll just leave this here: "I see you villain! I see you with your fucking villain mustache!"

What influences the way they speak? Being a soap actor and an action star means that he can be plenty dramatic, even in his every day life.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? He's calmed down a little, if anything, so he's a little steadier. Of course, he doesn't have a cluster of people in his head pushing him to high stress levels, so that helps.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? He's learning as much as he can to strengthen his English to be in as many productions as possible.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Drama, drama, drama, drama,



What else should we know about how they speak? I'm not saying he's a drama princess, but he's a fucking drama queen.

[love_made_public]

LITOOOOOOO

[veturius]

From: The Martial Empire in Serra, a land that's pretty far in the past in comparison to Darrow. There is little in terms of electricity as they tend to use fire, torches, that sort of thing.

Accent: Probably slightly Middle Eastern. It's never overtly stated but that's what I've always read into. His English is obviously very good but he most likely has some mix of an Indian/Egyptian accent.

Cursing/Slang: Serra has a lot of vocabulary that's specific to its world which means he does curse but it might not sound like he is. He uses phrases like 'bleeding skies' or 'ten hells' when he needs to exclaim something. He's probably picked up a few curse words from being in Darrow and from being around Raven but he's still pretty attached to the words he knew back home.

Influences: Elias is a soldier, born and bred, which means he's soft spoken and quiet. A lot of his fellow soldiers are brash and loud but he's not. He prefers to let others talk while he listens. That's one of his biggest strengths: listening. He'd prefer to let others talk so he doesn't have to because he's not really good with words.

Things I Remember: Like Alec, Elias is another one of those who has a very spare way of talking. He's thoughtful but he doesn't use a lot of words to get his point across. He wants to say as few words as possible to get it done and then he wants to shut up again. He might come off as aloof and standoffish because of that but I promise he's not.

[wildmage_daine]

Where and when are they from originally? High Fantasy Times, a relatively bustling city by way of a small mountain village.
What is their accent? A folksy combination of Irish and Midwestern
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? She does, though it's folksy high fantasy cursing. She will literally say "curse it," and she doesn't need much of an excuse.
What influences the way they speak? Her upbringing, specifically in Galla. Though she's also picked up slang from others in her canon, and has probably picked up things from her packmates in Darrow, too.
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? It hasn't changed much, and some of that is deliberate on Daine's part; she doesn't want to forget who she's supposed to be while she's in Darrow.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? As with Greta, she's picked up a lot of modern vocabulary she'd have no use for back home.
What slang do they use, if any? "Odd's bobs" is the biggie. She also incorporates assorted canonical gods into her cursing, like Mithros.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Also avoiding modern idioms. Plus, keeping things folksy and relatively simple. She's never been one for fancy words, so anything too polysyllabic or SAT-ish shouldn't show up in her internal or external dialogue.
What else should we know about how they speak? Her tone can vary pretty widely depending on who she's talking to. She has a whole different timbre for soothing frightened animals, and she occasionally slips into it when dealing with a stressed out person. Her grammar used to be a bit shaky -- things like using 'was' instead of 'were' or 'them' instead of 'those,' but at this point, slip-ups are exceedingly rare. She'd have to be pretty discombobulated to fall back into those speech patterns.

[onlythebranch]

Where and when are they from originally? Ireland, sometime in the 14th century, though he's been in America since sometime in the mid-18th century.

What is their accent? Sometimes American, sometimes Irish, most of the time a little bit of both.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? HA HA HA HA, all Sweeney does is curse. Under all circumstances. It's probably fair to say his favourite word canonically is 'cunt'.

What influences the way they speak? Being that he's technically a fairy, Mad Sweeney can be oddly poetic some of the time. He's been around for a long time, so he's picked up a lot of different ways to say things, has a tendency toward odd metaphors and similes, but can string words together rather beautifully when something can move him to.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? It differs in that I am not quite as good at weird similes as he is. -__-

What slang do they use, if any? While he will refer to Jesus Christ the way most people do (for example, just saying 'oh, Christ' when someone does something that annoys him) he also thinks of Jesus as being more real than the average person would (given that he's met about 5 versions of him) and so he usage might sound strange. He also doesn't say anything like 'for god's sake', but instead will refer to Brân in place of god. He's also picked up use of the word 'ain't', which sounds sort of funny in his weird half accent.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Lots of swearing, be as colourful as possible and when he's not being poetic, get to the damn point. At one point in canon he tells someone he's going to have an anxiety attack if they don't shut up, so, lmao, he likes when others are succinct and tends to go for that in his own speech often, too. Especially if he doesn't like a person.

What else should we know about how they speak? He's rude and he's mean and he's loud and I'm sorry. Here is a pretty decent clip of him NOT shouting and a good example of him sounding American for awhile and then suddenly sounding Irish. I choose to believe this is a choice and not just a bad attempt at an accent. >.> (The clip might be considered spoilery, though no huge plot stuff.)

[formerlysiryn]

This is fucking GREAT.

Where and when are they from originally? County Mayo, Ireland, but she spent a lot of time in boarding schools as a child, then most of her teen/adult years in the US.

What is their accent? Still recognizably Irish, since she was raised until age 11-ish in Ireland, but it's watered down by her time in boarding schools and ultimately mostly by living in the US for so long. The accent comes out a bit more when she's speaking to someone with a close accent, or when she gets worked up or tired.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Very rarely, since she comes from a Marvel canon and it feels wrong for her to curse, even though it'd make sense for her. She'll let a few slip when she gets really angry.

What influences the way they speak? The biggest influence is her own state of being - whether she's angry, tired, excited, her accent gradually becomes thicker as conversation goes on.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? It's probably just about the same as it has been since she was a teen, since I assume most Darrow people speak with a default American accent. No real change there from her living in the US and NYC for most of her life.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? She loves bringing up TC² to mock locals, if that counts.

What slang do they use, if any? American slang, with Irish/British English slang mixed in.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? When and where and how to change the writing of her accent when I'm writing her tags. I try to sound out words in my head to figure out how she'd sound, especially when considering when to drop an -ing and other modifications. I also have her slip more into using ye and yer instead of you and your/you're when the American influence in her accent fades and her Irish accent is getting thicker.

What else should we know about how they speak? She has a naturally nice sounding voice on top of the Irish accent, thanks to her powers.

[intheruins]

*_______* in my head at every time Theresa speaks.

[to_survive]

Where and when are they from originally? Bellamy's from The Ark, a combination of 12 space stations belonging to 12 different countries. In the year 2149.

What is their accent? Apparently all accents meld into a generic American accent after only 100 years of cohabitation.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Not all the time, but he's not conscious of whether he curses or not, it just slips out.

What influences the way they speak? Since 12 different countries combined into one human race, I try to remind myself that beyond his accent there aren't really any limits to his slang and where things pull from. Obviously with canon the way it is, his speech is heavily influenced by American English. Also, with the way religion has changed on the Ark, he doesn't really invoke God or Jesus when cursing (or at least I TRY to remember this).

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? It hasn't changed much at all.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? He's probably picked up "old Earth" slang during his time in Darrow, and he's probably picked up a lot of language surrounding technology/culture that didn't exist on the Ark. Anything to do with the internet, phones, certain food, etc.

What slang do they use, if any? Nothing special, just regular American slang.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? I just try to remember some of the things he might not really know about since he grew up in the future and in a culture that, while similar to American culture, was still vastly different from old Earth culture.

What else should we know about how they speak? Nothing. Except that Bob Morley's Bellamy voice is way deeper and more gravelly than his natural Australian accent.

[codenamekolibri]

slinks back into the game properly after crawling back up from the gates of hell

Where and when are they from originally? East Germany, 1983

What is their accent? When speaking German it’s sort of general northern/eastern. (The vagueness works in his favor.) When he’s speaking English or Russian his accent is German, but faint enough that you might not be able to place it right away. With French it’s more noticeable.

Do they curse? Under what circumstances? When Martin gets frustrated he swears, but no matter the language he does so in a German way which don’t always necessarily cross 100% between languages. Using shit where an American English speaker might more usually use damn (this shit car versus this damn car) and using many variations on ass (asshole, asshead, assface, ass of the world...). And he’s nothing if not forthright about it all. Martin will pull an incredibly indelicate expression out of the air at a moment’s notice and not seem particularly embarrassed by it, no matter the audience.

What influences the way they speak? Thanks to an intensive course in infiltration Martin now speaks more like a West German than an Eastern one. He had to learn to change his daily vocabulary to the point where reaching for the Western terms was instinctive and he still keeps that up in Darrow as Moritz even if he’s thinking in German rather than speaking in English. Speaking as a Western warmongering capitalist isn’t his natural state, but it’s become second nature now.

Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? His English is getting even better and his accent is lessening even more as time goes on.

Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Well, he’s picked up the word fuck fairly quickly.

What slang do they use, if any? There’s some military slang and acronyms, but not a lot of eighties slang. Mostly because a lot of if didn’t penetrate that darn iron curtain and he’s aware that he sounds a little silly and kind of suspicious trying to catch up on things like that.

Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Sometimes I actually try to figure out how a German might say something -with particular phrasings and words and sentence structure- then use that as a background for how he chooses to say something in English. It’s more than likely overkill, but I like it in a weird way. I also think it’s honestly a bit helpful since pinning down his actual voice in canon is strange. Do I go with the show’s English subtitles? With what the actors are saying? With one of the brief scenes where he speaks English? idk, man. idk.

What else should we know about how they speak? Not necessarily related to speaking, but his laugh is more like a giggle than anything else (as can be seen in that first clip up there) and it’s kinda adorable.

[femmejosephine]

It's interesting that you say you try to figure out how a German would actually say it and then say it in English, because I do the same thing for Eowyn. Old English is closer to German than it is to modern English.

[akindofnecromancer]

Where and when are they from originally? Sabriel's originally from the Old Kingdom, but was brought up primarily in Ancelstierre.
What is their accent? Roughly British-colonial-esque. More in line with British/Australian/South African than, say, Canadian.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Sabriel swears sometimes, largely under high-stress situations.
What influences the way they speak? Sabriel was brought up largely in a private boarding school, as a boarder (it also had day school attendants).
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Sabriel hasn't been in Darrow quite long enough to have her speech really influenced by Darrow.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Sabriel has started to pick up some modern colloquialisms, but not a whole lot else.
What slang do they use, if any? Sabriel doesn't use a lot of slang, per se, so much as she's started to speak less like she's from an earlier time period and more like an average teenager belonging in the 21st century.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Sabriel's voice is one of the easier ones to get to, actually, though I sometimes forget that she has a bit of a short fuse. Mogget, on the other hand, is a hassle and a half because he's cryptic as hell--and now frustratingly NOT all knowing because he doesn't actually understand that much about Darrow, and can't access the energies of Darrow while in his current forms.
What else should we know about how they speak? Not much else to keep in mind for this girl. She's pretty simple and straight forward.

Everyone should be thinking of Tim Curry every time they read Mogget, though.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Where and when are they from originally? Billy is originally from Korea (probably somewhere in the North), but has lived in America for a good portion of his life. He arrives from 1879.
What is their accent? He still retains much of his Korean accent.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? BOY DOES HE. Mostly with his eyes/body language in general, Billy's been hanging around with cowboys and gunslingers and a soldier for far too long to not swear.
What influences the way they speak? Billy speaks when it's important to, and says things that are important to say. He is very particular about his words--and still sometimes gets caught up on the language barrier.
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? In Darrow, he's become more talkative. Part of this is an influence from other characters and a general comfort level. He feels he can be more at ease in Darrow than he was in late-19th century America. A lot of this is the influence of Henry Cheng, now gone from Darrow, who encouraged him to strengthen his Korean skills as well. In canon, Billy speaks the most with Goodnight; that's still mostly true, though Billy is also awfully talkative with Vasquez these days.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Billy hasn't picked up any particular things from Darrow, so much as he's learned that some things that were normal for him to say back home aren't appropriate to say any longer.
What slang do they use, if any? Most of Billy's slang is Korean, Cajun French, or a smattering of Mexican Spanish. He doesn't use any of it very much.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Billy is one of my multilingual characters, and so figuring out the moments that trip him up are always fun (sometimes they're stupid things, ones I myself have experienced between English and German, like completely forgetting words in one language that I don't even know in the other).
What else should we know about how they speak? Billy holds his perceived perceived deficiencies with English very close to his chest. If he can't think of how to say something, he will almost always rely on the people around him to back him up--or bluff his way through with a "fight me about it" look on his face.

[krempuff]

Where and when are they from originally? Tevinter, toward the north, but not a major city.
What is their accent? Tevinter's accent is a sort of weird British-colonial accent, a la British India/Pakistan. The language itself is influenced from Latin, Greek, and Slavic roots, however. Krem's accent runs working class, accordingly. Not rural.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Krem, like any good soldier, swears like he was born to. He's picked up a variety of colorful epithets over the years.
What influences the way they speak? Krem's speech is influenced from a variety of things. His upbringing--both as a working class child of working class parents in a society that prizes magic over the mundane, as well as his social acculturation as a trans man--have had huge impacts on his manner of speech. His time in the military and with the Chargers have, likewise, played a part in his speech patterns, and in fact in certain roles of those speech patterns: Krem the Charger is very different from Krem the Diplomat, is different from Krem the Lieutenant, etc.
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Krem's speech has changed slightly in his years in Darrow, but that's more dependent on who he's talking to. He's more casually modern around strangers, or people that read more toward modern or who he knows are from more modern places, than around, say, Gannicus or Eowyn who are from cultures or places that are more similar to Tevinter or Fereldan, or Thedas in general, and so he leans back on a lot of his old manners and speech patterns.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Krem's picked up a lot of modern swearing (Christ/Goddamn, especially) that doesn't exist in Thedas.
What slang do they use, if any? Krem continues to use things like "Maker" and even "Andraste"/"Andraste's [whatever]" as a curse, especially when he's feeling pithy about something.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Krem's one of my more adaptive speakers, which is suiting. He's a bit of a chameleon voice, which comes from his character profile and his position within the Chargers.
What else should we know about how they speak? While I've largely forgone bringing up Krem's bilingual tendencies with Tevene (he's only got Dorian to speak it with), a clever reader will notice that recent game plot events have spurred on Krem's use of Qunlat and his utterance of Qun phrases. While never explicitly stated in the game, agreement has been had that Krem's potential as a Viddathari (a convert to the Qun) is perfectly logical, and stressful events have brought up a resurgence of his faith and use of the language.

[minute_by_minute]

Where and when are they from originally? Oslo, Norway, 2016
What is their accent? Middle East Norwegian, specifically the Oslo dialect/accent
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Even swears in Norwegian and English, especially when frustrated, and sometimes when something is funny. He particularly says "fuck" in English.
What influences the way they speak? Like most teenagers, Even is influenced a lot by media (music, tv, films) in all the languages he is capable of consuming it in (in this case, his native Norwegian, as well as his secondary Swedish and English).
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? In Darrow, Even speaks more English than he spoke in Norway. He still speaks Norwegian with Isak, and they speak it together almost exclusively.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Even hasn't picked up any specific vocal tics in Darrow.
What slang do they use, if any? Even has Norwegian vocal tics and slang, but these do not necessarily translate into English.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Because I write all of Even's dialogue in italic translation, it can be really difficult to conceptualize certain things, like verbal tics, slang, idioms, and that sort of thing. When possible, I try to have clear Norwegian, but without the language skills present for it, I feel that I do the language a disservice to do so.
What else should we know about how they speak? Any time Even's not specifically speaking English, he's probably speaking Norwegian.

[herownway]

Where and when are they from originally? Queens, New York, 2014
What is their accent? so, she is a clone but would have the same accent as Peter and where he is from. Which is also Queens. But no Spider-Man actor, voice or live action, has ever done the big Queens accent! It's a big accent! It should theoretically be there! Tom Holland kind of I guess? So my cheat has always been to say 'generic New Yorker, traces of Queens', it's probably around what Petey sounds like in Homecoming.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Jessica actually curses a fair bit in the comics, but because of them rules it's always in grawlixes. So when she curses in game, I bust out those same #$%^ing grawlixes, for a couple of reasons. It makes it look like her dialogue to me, since that's how it appears on page. Also I find it weirdly amusing. It's kind of like how the mockumentary style of sitcom allowed them to bleep swear words through the framing device, and then other comedies picked that up even though they don't have the framing device to justify it, we just accept it. The fact we don't hear/see it is almost part of the joke.

I will occasionally bust out an actual un-redacted curse in high emotion moments, when I want the impact. I get both the impact of 'non-swearer swears' and the verisimilitude of 'modern teen swears a reasonable amount', I am both having and eating the cake
What slang do they use, if any? I don't know what to call it. Pre-millenial? Slang, but of the pre-bae variety, and sometimes she'll rewind even further, there's an old timey patter to it sometimes. Also, as I put it on twitter, a smattering of nebulously sourced Yiddish.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Bendis has a particular style, and since basically two people have written Ultimate Jess in her whole comics existence and one of them sucked, I tend to go for that pattern. Sort of a naturalistic, repeating style. Some odd, winding phrasings.

Also, only Old Pop Culture references, for the most part, classics over fully contemporary references. There's a line I've always liked where a cop is yelling at Peter for disturbing a crime scene and asks how he's never seen a single CSI, and Peter just says 'I have webs?' Out and about too much to be fully up on the teevee!

[mitsubishievo]

Where and when are they from originally? Kavinsky arrived from western Virginia, somewhere in the Shenandoah Valley, outside Henrietta; but he's originally from Sofia, Bulgaria.
What is their accent? Kavinsky has a smooth and generic American accent, hailing from mid-state Jersey. He's cultivated a lack of accent over the years. He's very good with accents though, because he's constantly suppressing the fact that he actually has a fairly strong Bulgarian one.
Do they curse? Under what circumstances? Kavinsky will take any and every opportunity to find a reason to swear. There is always a good reason to say "fuck", "shit", "damn", or "bastard", as far as he's concerned. Especially if it makes somebody else uncomfortable.
What influences the way they speak? Kavinsky's English is largely influenced by Hollywood, comic books, and music, as well as the knit group of his friends in Henrietta. His Bulgarian is almost solely influenced by his father (a gangster of some variety) and his mother (an 80s-era working woman turned cokehead of some variety).
Has their speech changed since arriving in Darrow? In what ways does it differ from canon? Like much of Kavinsky, he's softened a bit in Darrow. He knows how to be gentle, or at least soften a blow.
Have they picked up any specific language/slang/vocal tics while in Darrow? Because he's a modern boy, Kavinsky didn't have any slang to pick up in Darrow. He has picked up a little bit of Glader-speech from Newt ("shuck"/"shucking" is a really good stand in for a swear word when he's mad at the cats).
What slang do they use, if any? When straight up swearing won't do, Kavinsky defaults to Bulgarian. Most of his affections come in Bulgarian, because he still finds it embarrassing.
Do you have anything specific you keep in mind when writing their dialogue? Like Billy's Korean and Even's Norwegian, I don't speak Bulgarian. Add to that that Bulgarian is a Cyrillic language and I feel the necessity to transliterate it, and sometimes things get a little wild. For that reason, Kavinsky's Bulgarian doesn't come up nearly as much as I'd like it to.
What else should we know about how they speak? For the love of god, don't listen to the Dream Thieves audiobook. It will ruin Kavinsky's voice for you. Save yourselves. Read that dialogue and be in a better place.