[OT] Bah Weep Granna Meep Ninni-bon!

[Dark Eternal]

I don't use real-world languages in my campaign. I have made up some gibberish sounds that sound like they belong to certain races though. I think a Klingon-ish "language" sounds good for Dwarves, and a soft language with lots of "SH, L, VA, KA" works well for Elves.

Mostly I speak in English (since almost everyone knows Common), but I can slip into a "language" if the need arises (party comes across another race plotting something in their native tongue, etc...). I don't have any sort of translations, no rules for grammar, or how to build words according to spelling rules. I just say what rolls off the tongue, and try to make sure it sounds internally consistent, at least with respect to the sounds used.

For instance, Dwarven:
D'oh vak maR! Koh bahk, Voe Kana. Due cramon

Elven:
Alashan verul, no dal shah, kalavar malon sheravun, no-londal valanush.

This is the technique I employ when I'm put on the spot by players. I seldom get put on the spot by my Dungeon Master, if only because I have so much more time to prepare for this kind of thing as a player (and so much less to prepare for! 1 char rather than a world full.)

My newest dwarven character caused this question for me in the first place. I've been trying to think about what languages he speaks reasonably - for example, although he's learned the common tongue (Areymish, I think the local common is called - ), he's grown up speaking Dwarven. So he thinks in Dwarven, and therefore I've been trying to figure out how the Dwarven language works, so I can figure out how my character thinks.

I've decided, among other things, that he uses his native name for his race - Dhurvakku - rather than the common word, Dwarf. After all, if you met a bunch of aliens who called humans "Fillitati", which would you use when talking to said aliens? Are you really going to call yourself a Fillitati just because they do?

The problem is, my DM seems to think that my 'Dwarven' words sound too much like Klingon - which I find highly annoying, especially since I can't really argue with him. So I'm ending up limiting my character's use of his native tongue far more than I wanted to, because I don't want to encourage ridicule from the other gamers.

I guess that if my use of 'Dwarven' sounded cooler and more 'realistic' (as opposed to Star Trekkish, I suppose), then I wouldn't feel constrained from using it. So I confess - my secret motive in posting this thread was to find someone who would reveal a means for using cool and realistic sounding 'Dwarven' words.

*sigh*.

 

[Green Knight]

Dwarven words sounding similar to Klingon words, huh? I can see that. Dwarves tend to be portrayed as a Viking-like culture, whereas Klingons are clearly based off Vikings, themselves. So the comparison is one easily made.

As for Dwarven language, why not use Tolkien's stuff? Granted, I haven't read that appendix indepth. I know it provides a Dwarven alphabet, but does it provide a guide on how to pronounce Dwarven words? I would think so, what with J.R.R. Tolkien being such a freak about languages.

And if it sounds Klingon, well, point out to your DM that both Dwarves and Klingons are based off of Vikings, so it can't really be helped.

 

[Voneth]

orbitalfreak:
I don't have any sort of translations, no rules for grammar, or how to build words according to spelling rules. I just say what rolls off the tongue, and try to make sure it sounds internally consistent, at least with respect to the sounds used.

I call this my "Star Wars" languages. Most gamers seem to except it without too much disbelief.

Malak'cul to ahck Ithillid
"May you wake up with a Mind Flyer in your face."

An old Lizardman curse in my game worlds.

Green Knight:
Dwarven words sounding similar to Klingon words, huh? I can see that. Dwarves tend to be portrayed as a Viking-like culture, whereas Klingons are clearly based off Vikings, themselves.

Funny enough, I think Paramount's linguist based the language off Arabic and Russian.