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[Nmaro Makari]

CCP has a dictionary for some of the language in EVE, but because we all are pretty much guaranteed to communicate in English it's not expansive.

So a lot of times, RPers have filled in the gaps or attached pretty little linguistic ribbons to their environment, some notable examples:

- RDCs ranks, Taisho, Chujo etc
- Ava's Sebbie Stuffs, nordic words abound
- Our own names, players with even a small grasp on the lore who make a character for RP want to give them a name that sounds Amarrian, Gallente, etc

This thread is pretty much just a discussion, do you use words from IRL languages (excluding English, in case that had to be stated) in your RP universe? What words, what do you use them for? Are there some things that should be avoided, should you try and change the word to account for the fact that the language itself does not actually exist in the lore? In fact do you make up words that just sound the part?

[Samira Kernher]

Latin/Greek is commonly used for Amarr, both by players and developers. Arabic/Persian/Hebrew is also used very regular, especially in nomenclature. Many Amarr NPC ships have either Arabic/Persian/Hebrew names (Tanakh, Muzakir, Tamir) or they have names of Roman popes (Sixtus, Donus, Agatho, etc). The bestower also used to have Greek letters, and there is the oft-referenced Ardishapur = Ardashir+Shapur connection (both Persian).

Ergo I'll use all of those as inspiration personally, though I try to focus on the Arabic/Persian/Hebrew angle because Latin is always used for 'empire/religious' factions in games and is thus rather dull for me. Plus the Ardashir/Shapur thing makes me think of the Ardishapur area probably having more of a Persian dialect, and Sami is Ardishapurian, where other regions in the Empire might have more Latin/Greek ones. Amarr's large enough to have multiple inspirations as regional variations. Where I most often personally use inspirations from these languages is in ship names, as I try to avoid English ship names wherever possible. Typically I try to go for a name that evokes the general idea of that class using word(s) from one of the above languages (IE all of my battleships are named for apocalyptic/end times events because Amarr battleship classes all have those. My geddons are Gehenna (greek/hebrew), and my apocs are Qiyamah (arabic). I'd probably go Jahannam (arabic) for an abaddon, if I had one).

I don't mind specific references to RL usually, depending on what it is. When it's actually an IC reference to a specific RL person or place where such a reference otherwise couldn't exist (Stockholm Syndrome), then I'm iffy on it. Otherwise I don't mind too much.


What I absolutely despise is people using RL languages in actual IC dialogue. Like, full sentences. A) The translators are supposed to translate all of that anyway, and B ) I don't want to have to copy-paste everything you say into an online translator just to be able to properly RP a character who is supposed to understand that language's in-game counterpart.

[Nmaro Makari]

Very informative! Some stuff I didn't know there. I am sometimes neutral on language in IC dialogue, but perhaps that's because I was guilty of it in earlier days...

Edit: Also, on a whim I looked up the Norwegian word for "Single Combat" or "Duel"  and it is  apparently "Tvekamp", and boy do I have plans for it 

Kampsport is also Martial Arts

[Lyn Farel]

As long as it's translated in brackets or OOCly somewhere, I don't mind it much.

I used to mind it very much in the case of Napaani, or player made popular languages in general. Had to look every word up so that I could understand what was said through my universal translator. After a bit of time I learned what this or that napaani word was, same for other languages as the almighty Ashaltiasten for Amarr, etc. But it still was a question of principles, it was damn annoying.

Also crusaded a lot against americans using inches and non standard metrics in a game using universal units, and where people of other languages were doing the effort to speak english. Was a personal pet peeve of mine, this. 

Nah actually, I was pretty much fond of the old way of saying /me speaks in ancient gallente : 'HELLO WORLD' since we already use a language which doesn't even exist in New Eden in the first place (english).

[Arista Shahni]

I never even bothered to look up napaani.

The translators should translate it all.

Also, napaani is a language created for eve and has a glossary, whereas for others id need to pirate copies of rosetta stone. so no.

[Charles Cambridge Schmidt]

"You are a filthy [word that should be translated but, for some reason, isn't for the sole purpose of reinforcing the person speaking's original or adopted nationality even though it just comes off as fucking annoying]!"

I can understand (sort of) the need to try to make a character seem... erm... classy? By using ~great~ and ~exotic~ words, but for the most part cursing removes sense of class, no matter what language. It's just obnoxious, for the most part. And I can get stuff like ... idk, the Nordic shit that Ava/Kyllsa uses to describe cool Minmatar stuff. I mean, I'm sure some Gallenteans wouldn't have a proper vocab to describe it, and I doubt universal translators would suddenly tack on a paragraph of meaning and somesuch. I don't know, really. Depends on how much I like the person.

Anyway, I'll use IRL languages to name my ships if I'm wormhole diving and the corp living in the w-space isn't English. I'll try to make it "No Harm" or "PLZ NO SHOOT" in German or some shit; it's always fun.

[Jikahr]

I named a battleship "Потемкин"

[Nicoletta Mithra]

Kampsport is also Martial Arts

Kampsport is more combat/fighting sport, stressing the sportive aspect a lot (up to the exclusion of others). Martial Arts would more be 'Kampkunst'.

[Quintrala]

Mmmmh... while I am aware that translators take care of everything, I like a smatter of non-English here and there.

As capsuleers, we do live in an international environment and maybe we should not be surprised to find accents or words that do not translate. I find myself occasionally using Gallentean (French) words work to convey accent, origin or emotion. (As someone said, "your mother tongue is the language your curse in, when you accidentally hit your thumb with a hammer.") Likewise, I find it charming when someone calls me Delorois-haani or stuff I cannot translate - it spices things up and reminds me I am not with my own.

Some other times I will try and use a very limited vocabulary in someone else's language to represent that I am not from here, but I am trying hard to fit (i.e. babbling with Dutch corpmates, who happened to be overwhelmingly Caldari). And, as in the real world, people do realise you are not going through a translator and more often than not appreciate the gesture, which in turn feeds into RP.

That being said, if I ever speak non-English, it will probably be something the person across understands and not an arcane tongue. Quite the opposite, sometimes I will intentionally use loaded words (i.e. muggle for baseliner) because they are simply a better fit, even though that may technically be an RP sin. 

Q

[Utsukushi Shi]

I use slightly garbled google translate japanese for my Achur backstory things. I rationalize it by only using it for nouns as it is unlikely they would be translated.

[Nissui]

My ships are usually named using the Sumerian/Akkadian mythos artificially 'corrupted' by the passage of millennia. It's not really congruent with the roots I use from the Oyirad and Mongolic dialects to construct terminology for Clan and Family stuff, but I excuse it in that they are meant to be the names of old spirits, therefore much different from modern Vherokior dialects.

[Mizhara]

Kampsport is also Martial Arts

Kampsport is more combat/fighting sport, stressing the sportive aspect a lot (up to the exclusion of others). Martial Arts would more be 'Kampkunst'.

Not the case. The word kampsport is largely the only one we use for martial arts. Kampkunst would be more of a google translate sort of translation and is not in use. As for tvekamp, it's a word that isn't in common usage either as we'd probably use duell instead (which you can probably guess the source of). Of course, it's entirely valid but it's very old and largely discarded.

I honestly feel a bit weird about seeing Norwegian (particularly modern Norwegian like kampsport etc) used in RP. It doesn't strike me as something that fits too well in the PF as most references aim more for the old Norse words and concepts. Icelandic and Norse words used as influence fits the naming conventions of ships and other things far better and would be less jarring I think.

There's some words that are technically still part of modern Norwegian/Scandinavian but have sources far enough back to fit, like Holmgang, Tvekamp and such that wouldn't feel like a mish-mash of cultures but the modern common language feels off in an RP setting.

Back in my own RP days, Norse was used by quite a few Minmatar RPers myself included but I don't think we ever used pure Norwegian or any of the other scandinavian languages as anything but inspiration for things we made up ourselves.

[Katrina Oniseki]

#iredswag #vote4john #katbutt #muppetpenis

[Ché Biko]

Whenever possible, Ché will use french(-like) words and phrases that are also used by english speaking people, like: Faux pas, cul de sac, Pardon, à la carte, à propos, raison d'entre, reconnaissance, en masse, etc.

[Jace]

I avoid all odd use of language. I gave up on Napaani long ago, even in greetings or exclamations and other minimalist ways people use them. I do not think EVE is conducive to such details.