06-08-2017, 05:35 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
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English in 15th Cen PoD worlds
In worlds like Shikaku-mon or Ming-3, which diverged over half a millennium ago, how different would English be? I know no penalties are listed in the sourcebooks, but I've heard renditions of how different English was in the 1400s, and figuring independent development from there, it might be quite different, I would expect. Could I talk to someone from one of those timelines?
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06-08-2017, 05:53 PM | #2 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: English in 15th Cen PoD worlds
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Possibly. Depending on how much outside language gets absorbed - English could be replaced with a creole language in 500 years of development from the 15th cen, hypothetically.
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06-08-2017, 07:56 PM | #3 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: between keyboard and chair
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Re: English in 15th Cen PoD worlds
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I seem to recall a passage somewhere in Infinite Worlds about worlds being on or near Quantum 5 because they had some similarities to Homeline - if I'm remembering that correctly, then one of the similarities could be similarity of language, and the English of some random worldline would be similar to the English of Homeline despite it not making sense for a divergent worldline to have developed its languages the same way Homeline did. On the other hand, if the players enjoy roleplaying out difficulties in communication, go for the probably-realistic idea of different social stresses from the Point of Divergence onward producing different languages. (Slight digression: It took me a few minutes to realize "PoD" didn't stand for "Print on Demand".)
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Rob Kelk “Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” – Bernard Baruch, Deming (New Mexico) Headlight, 6 January 1950 No longer reading these forums regularly. |
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06-08-2017, 08:01 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: English in 15th Cen PoD worlds
For points of divergence after about 1480, usually yes, provided you avoid technical discussions. For divergence points back to about 1250, sometimes, if the London dialect (the so called Chancery Standard) formed the basis of whatever the locals are now calling English. For divergence points before 1100 very likely not, and certainly not if the Norman Conquest didn't happen.
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