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

[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.