| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Durak |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 11:43:42
When did dwarves have to speak like scottish natives? And why.
Does your dwarven character have to speak like this.
Some people tend to take rp to religiously, had people complain cause my dwarf did speak scottish, and in a computer game i played, Uo, that i didnt type in scottish (dwarven).
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I love to play a sarcastic safe (non risk taker) dwarf, who if annoyed takes you literally (and becomes risky).
Was playing my dwarven warrior with a group of 6 people, only 2 of us were fighters. So was at the back of the group firing bolts from my heavy Crossbow. After the first battle they said i should be up front to stop them getting the brunt of the attack, so i did.
I ran straight into the next room we came to had 6 orcs 5 orc shamen and a few of them orc champion types. Orc shaman ran one way i followed them and the rest tried to cut me off. Basically i killed off the shamen and the rest of the group hit the other orcs in the back.
After we stood over the dead bodies, the rest of the group asked what the hell i was doing. So i told them, you told me to be in front, how far in front did you want me to go?. Then i said why whats the problem, it was only a few orcs.
It seems somehow or other i bypassed the 5 floor traps in the room. Survived the AoO from the orcs i ran past. Survived the spells of the shamen. And scared the daylights of the rest of my group expecting total group wipeout.
Shortly after this, the group voted that i wasnt safe to be with. And they would never group with me again. Ignoring my comments that it was their own fault for putting me in the front.
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Since then i have gone for the human archer. I prefare to fight from the rear. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 10 Apr 2018 : 13:05:57
most everyone I've encountered speaking as gnomes always wants to make them speak in high pitched "mousy" tones. For myself, I was influenced by Flint Fireforge early in my youth, and thus nearly all my dwarves end up going Scottish. |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 10 Apr 2018 : 07:49:32
I don't think 'Irish' is a gnome stereotype. At least, not one I've ever encountered. |
| moonbeast |
Posted - 10 Apr 2018 : 05:55:48
And on a related note….. why does everything think Gnomes speak like leprechauns?
|
| moonbeast |
Posted - 10 Apr 2018 : 05:49:34
quote:
Originally posted by Brother Ezra
The thing that I just can't seem to get past is the use of surnames like Battlehammer for a race that speaks its own language. Why would a native speaker of dwarven have a surname that has meaning in the common tongue? When I say 'Battlehammer' to a speaker of english, it has immediate meaning and is recognized as english words. Would a Russian or Nigerian or Laotian have "Toasteroven" as a surname?
Greetings! My name is Vladimir Pyotrevich Loungechair. Pleased to meet you!
Hail and well met, Saer Vladimir Pyotrevich Loungechair! I am Baron Hiroshi Estigarribia von Rottenblade, lord of the Wood Elves. May I offer you tea?
|
| TomCosta |
Posted - 09 Apr 2018 : 22:44:23
Thank you George. He was one of my favorite characters. |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 09 Apr 2018 : 04:59:23
Tolkien connected Khudzul to Semitic languages, so make of that what you will.
Also, Neverwinter Nights 2 averted the Scottish Dwarf trope. Only Khelgar has a distinct accent; his kinsmen don't. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 09 Apr 2018 : 02:00:17
quote:
Originally posted by TomCosta
I recently played a dwarf from the Great Rift who spoke with a pseudo-Aussie accent because he was from a land down under....
Brilliant! I approve 
-- George Krashos |
| TomCosta |
Posted - 08 Apr 2018 : 23:44:12
I recently played a dwarf from the Great Rift who spoke with a pseudo-Aussie accent because he was from a land down under.... |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 08 Apr 2018 : 16:11:21
quote:
Originally posted by Icelander
quote:
Originally posted by Brother Ezra
The thing that I just can't seem to get past is the use of surnames like Battlehammer for a race that speaks its own language. Why would a native speaker of dwarven have a surname that has meaning in the common tongue? When I say 'Battlehammer' to a speaker of english, it has immediate meaning and is recognized as english words. Would a Russian or Nigerian or Laotian have "Toasteroven" as a surname?
Greetings! My name is Vladimir Pyotrevich Loungechair. Pleased to meet you!
You mean like Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Patience?
Pathfinder had a good explanation for that... Words like Battlehammer or Elmshaft or other names that sound like Common are actually dwarven or elven words that humans adopted. |
| Icelander |
Posted - 08 Apr 2018 : 15:25:48
quote:
Originally posted by Brother Ezra
The thing that I just can't seem to get past is the use of surnames like Battlehammer for a race that speaks its own language. Why would a native speaker of dwarven have a surname that has meaning in the common tongue? When I say 'Battlehammer' to a speaker of english, it has immediate meaning and is recognized as english words. Would a Russian or Nigerian or Laotian have "Toasteroven" as a surname?
Greetings! My name is Vladimir Pyotrevich Loungechair. Pleased to meet you!
You mean like Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Patience? |
| Faraer |
Posted - 13 Apr 2005 : 17:04:04
I don't know exactly; I've studied Anglo-Saxon, but there aren't many indigenous speakers. It was spoken in many dialects over a wide area. But somewhat like modern German, not like Irish or Scottish Gaelic. |
| Gaealiege |
Posted - 12 Apr 2005 : 18:22:15
Tell me Faraer...what does an Anglo-Saxon accent sound like? |
| Faraer |
Posted - 11 Apr 2005 : 20:36:10
Beowulf, that was your cue. |
| hammer of Moradin |
Posted - 11 Apr 2005 : 20:26:22
quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
Anglo-Saxons typically had Scottish accents?
 Well, where do you think the Scots got the Scottish accent?
I think players and movies giving dwarves a Scottish accent is, as Lord D surmised. Clans are a byproduct of the Scotsmen, and dwarves have clans (and cool, wild beards like Hamish from Braveheart!), so of course they speak like them.
Some of the ideas about dwarves come Norse mythology (some of which coincides with A-S words and myths) so I lend a bit of that in there, although I don't have a clue as to how that affects their speech. |
| Faraer |
Posted - 09 Apr 2005 : 02:29:17
Anglo-Saxons typically had Scottish accents? |
| Gaealiege |
Posted - 09 Apr 2005 : 00:27:13
You're most welcome Chosen of Bane. If anyone else has anymore questions about origins of words, language usage, accent, etc. I would be glad to respond to them. Language is a hobby of mine. |
| Chosen of Bane |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 19:25:28
quote:
Originally posted by Gaealiege
Dwarves have been given fame through many historical documents as well as all sorts of fantasy based writing. Tolkien of course uses dwarves which is one of the most well known. There is also the dwarves used in the Gregas, an Asgardian epic poem. But the word dwarf is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "dweorg" meaning "a person of small stature". Anglo-Saxons tyically had Scottish accents, hence the Scottish accent associated with "dweorgs" or dwarves.
Thank you for that.
I always wondered where that came from. |
| Gaealiege |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 19:17:55
Dwarves have been given fame through many historical documents as well as all sorts of fantasy based writing. Tolkien of course uses dwarves which is one of the most well known. There is also the dwarves used in the Gregas, an Asgardian epic poem. But the word dwarf is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "dweorg" meaning "a person of small stature". Anglo-Saxons tyically had Scottish accents, hence the Scottish accent associated with "dweorgs" or dwarves. |
| Lord Donnachie |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 18:57:15
CLANS=Scotland to alot of people reinforced by the Highlander. Simplistic but .... |
| Mareka |
Posted - 04 Apr 2005 : 21:15:59
quote:
Originally posted by Chosen of Bane
By saying I have "skill" with the accent I mean people can recognize which accent I am trying to imitate. It's not like I really think I can pose for a Scottsman.
It's more like a poor man's fat bastard.
That's still better than many other people. I'd like to use accents for all the different languages in the Realms, but I'm not talented with such things. An inaccurate accent is still more fun than none at all. |
| LordAnki |
Posted - 04 Apr 2005 : 01:06:33
I prefer the dwarves to have a Germanic accent instead of Scottish. But scottish has been the norm for a really long time though. Reinforced by LoTR. |
| Chosen of Bane |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 23:42:11
By saying I have "skill" with the accent I mean people can recognize which accent I am trying to imitate. It's not like I really think I can pose for a Scottsman.
It's more like a poor man's fat bastard. |
| Faraer |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 23:21:58
Dwarf names are discussed in detail in FR11 (which everyone halfway interested in the Realms or dwarves should read). Yes, the 'English' surnames are translations.
I don't know where the Scottish dwarves came from, probably just a vague idea of traditional bearded Highland clans. I don't have a good Scottish accent myself (though I don't think many Americans do either) and as a DM I use intonation more than specific national accents. |
| Chosen of Bane |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 21:11:36
This is an odd little thing I often wonder about. Where did the Scottish Accent for Dwarves come from? I know the LOTR movies strongly reinforced it but I seem to remember Dwarven players having the accent well before the movies.
I guess I've always pictured Hamish (sp?) from Braveheart being a perfect personality/accent for a Dwarf. Maybe him using an Axe didn't help matters.
I tend to play Dwarves far more than any other race and sadly I do buy into the stereotypes. About half of my Dwarven characters use the scottish accent. The other half don't have accents really, they just speak very gruffly and are very quick and to the point with their speach. I think of Shield Dwarves as have more scottish accents than Gold Dwarves for some reason.
I know my reasoning and thoughts are completely illogical but that's just how it is.
-I wouldn't be opposed to trying out a Norse or Germanic accent, it's just the only two accents I can do with any skill whatsoever are Scottish and Indian. I just can't see Dwarves speaking with an indian accent so I must resort to scottish.
On to the names...
I believe it was stated by Elaine Cunningham in Silvershadows (if not, one of the other Song and Swords novels) that Dwarves give their given name only to people they just meet. If you are given a Dwarves full name, including father's name and clan name than it is a sign of great respect.
The last few Dwarves I played were...
Borin Goldmallet (Gold Dwarf Dwarven Defender)
Mugnuckle Gruffbeard (Shield Dwarf Battlerager)
Fror Musicwrath (Gold Dwarf Illusionist)
I never really gave thought as to why there names make sense in common. I guess it's just translation for humans and other non-stout folk. |
| Mareka |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 20:38:17
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
One of my players in my campaign and I got into this discussion, and I asked why if dwarves have scottish accents do we never see them wearing kilts.
His reply is that he wants to play a dwarven bard wearing a kilt that plays a bagpipe . . .
Ask a stupid question . . .
|
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 20:34:33
One of my players in my campaign and I got into this discussion, and I asked why if dwarves have scottish accents do we never see them wearing kilts.
His reply is that he wants to play a dwarven bard wearing a kilt that plays a bagpipe . . .
Ask a stupid question . . . |
| Mareka |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 20:29:17
quote:
Originally posted by Wood Elf Ranger
I just thought I would mention that the dwarves from the Warcraft seem to have a mixture of scottish and russian for their speach patterns and somewhat for their culture as well. For example picture a dwarf doing a russian jig. It seems to fit well to me. Of course overall even each subrace has their own culture but sometimes it is fun to incorperate certain aspects of real-world cultures in there somewhere too.
I love doing this. It helps to fill in details, especially things like what items and treasure might look like, architecture, even styles of clothing. Even mythology can be used a bit, to adapt real culture myths to the deities worshipped in specific regions. Mixing and matching, like scottish culture for some things, russian for others, and then fantasy as well, can create a very detailed culture. |
| Wood Elf Ranger |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 01:04:30
I just thought I would mention that the dwarves from the Warcraft seem to have a mixture of scottish and russian for their speach patterns and somewhat for their culture as well. For example picture a dwarf doing a russian jig. It seems to fit well to me. Of course overall even each subrace has their own culture but sometimes it is fun to incorperate certain aspects of real-world cultures in there somewhere too. |
| Mareka |
Posted - 02 Apr 2005 : 20:48:27
quote:
Originally posted by Brother Ezra
Oh, wow. I can just picture a dwarf walking into a messy room and exclaiming "Oy vey! All this shmutz is making me a little verklempt!"
It's funny to picture a dwarf saying that, but what about a gnome? |
| khorne |
Posted - 02 Apr 2005 : 19:50:29
quote:
Originally posted by Brother Ezra
Oh, wow. I can just picture a dwarf walking into a messy room and exclaiming "Oy vey! All this shmutz is making me a little verklempt!"
I`m not sure why but I almost died of laughter when I tried to picture this. |
