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Rils
Learned Scribe
USA
108 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Jul 2015 : 22:43:24
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Is there any info out there about accents when speaking Common? From hearing someone speak, can I tell if they are from the Dalelands vs Amn vs Waterdeep etc?
And if the simple answer is "yes", do we know the real-world analogues? Simply thinking for RP/gameplay reasons. Thanks!
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Dugmaren Brightmantle is my homey. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2015 : 23:28:54
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| Since much of the Realms is based on real-world countries, in my head they sound like whatever country influenced them. Moonshaes=United Kingdom, etc |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2015 : 23:33:53
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The simple answer is "yes", the so-called Common Tongue varies from place to place and a speaker's accent/dialect can reveal (or obscure) his origins. I suppose that places where a native language is spoken more often than Common would more strongly flavour the accent and syntax.
Many scrolls here at the Keep have discussed real-world analogues for the nations and peoples of the Realms. And Ed (through his proxy) has oft commented that while such parallels can serve as convenient approximations, the peoples of the Realms are unique and diverse enough that these comparisons do them (and their cultures, histories, etc) great injustice. Yet it seems to be common practice for FR authors (and DM's and players) to adopt accents for their characters which loosely mimic those of Earth-based regional "counterparts". |
[/Ayrik] |
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Rils
Learned Scribe
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2015 : 00:15:38
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Yeah, I'm familiar with the "FR isn't an analogue" part. I think what I was looking for wasn't so much "does Calimshan = Arabia/Persia," but "What real-world-ish accent would people from Calimshan sound like they are using?"
For example, if my character is from the Dalelands and speaking Common, what does he sound like - English, Irish, the American South, Ontario, a French accent, a German accent, etc etc etc. And so on and so forth for other regions of the Realms. |
Dugmaren Brightmantle is my homey. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2015 : 04:35:30
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The Realms setting is basically a sort of fantasy-medieval pastiche. Each author takes his own liberties, even Ed has not always been entirely consistent. I guess the short answer is that "canon" really depends on the latest source(s) of inspiration and you could implement whatever per-region accents you like in your campaign without violating it. Barbarians seem to invariably sound vaguely Austrian, dwarves often sound Scottish or Gaelic, orcs seem to prefer gutteral Germans, elves seem to often speak with flowery lilting Latin/Romance accents, etc. I suppose the psuedo-Russian peoples of Rashamen would sound a little Russian, the ffolk of the Moonshaes sound a bit Irish or Brythonic, merchants from Amn are basically Iberian Spaniards, the inhabitants of Chult have singsong pidgins, Zakharans speak an imaginary generic Persian or Indian tongue, etc. Ethnic stereotypes and misrepresentations galore - and not all of them flattering, unfortunately - but there it is. Remember that many of the formative social influences on the Realms were basically all a bit parochial, Western, intolerant, and unsophisticated compared to what we believe them to be today. Ed and RAS (and so many others) are well-read and accepting sorts of people, but the published Realms we have today has evolved from what the published Realms was built on by TSR/WotC so many years ago.
I do wonder what sort of "accent" might be heard in the secret Druidic tongue, or if Thieves' Cant somehow conveys slick grifting opportunism, or if each of the sibilant draconic tongues can reveal the natures and inclinations of those who speak them. Thorass aka Auld Common is described as being stilted and archaic, something not unlike the language we (mistakenly) think Chaucer or Shakespeare might have spoken - I wonder what the other ancient tongues of the Realms might sound like. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 09 Jul 2015 05:53:33 |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2429 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2015 : 18:57:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Rils
Is there any info out there about accents when speaking Common? From hearing someone speak, can I tell if they are from the Dalelands vs Amn vs Waterdeep etc?
There are dialects all over the place - some derived from Thorass, some from giant or elemental tongues, lots of borrowings from Elven or Dwarven, translations and inventions that mostly stay local. Like this, or this or this.
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
the ffolk of the Moonshaes sound a bit Irish or Brythonic,
Celtic?
quote:
Zakharans speak an imaginary generic Persian or Indian tongue,
Somehow not Arabic?
Also, of blatant ones, you omitted the Horde, which is somewhat closer to the Heartlands than another continent.
quote:
not all of them flattering, unfortunately [...] parochial, Western, intolerant
"A changeling appears"?  |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2015 : 22:31:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Zakharans speak an imaginary generic Persian or Indian tongue, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by TBeholder
Somehow not Arabic?
Well, I agree with TBeholder, Zakharan was said to be closer to Semitic languages, rather than Indo-Aryan. Although I myself would say the accents would vary, depending on parts of Zakhara.
Tolkienian High Elven(Quenya), was based on Finnish Language, and Grey-Elven(Sindarin), is said to have been influenced primarily by Welsh. In Faerun itself, there is quite a bit of Celtic, usualy Welsh names among elves. The most significant use of an Welsh name, is perhaps the name of the goddess Angharradh.
Speaking of Welsh, Dalelands have been noted to have a bit of similarity to Wales, and various Brythonic states. Others have seen it as similar to rural England or France. Although one could say it would have sense that Elven and Dalelands accents would sound both somewhat pseudo-Welsh, seeing how elves had an influence on Dalelands. Alternately, if one makes Elves have Welsh accents, and still want characters from Dalelands sound unique, a Dalelander could speak with a Cornish, to have a accent sounding somewhat related, but distinct from Elven. |
Edited by - Baltas on 09 Jul 2015 22:32:10 |
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Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2015 : 23:58:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Thorass aka Auld Common is described as being stilted and archaic, something not unlike the language we (mistakenly) think Chaucer or Shakespeare might have spoken - I wonder what the other ancient tongues of the Realms might sound like.
I always imagined Thorass as being similar to a base language like Latin, from which other romance languages evolved in different regions of Europe. It's not a prefect comparison, but it's a logical comparison. We're used to comparing English as a common trade language, but less than 150 years ago, French was widely regarded as the language of commerce. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2015 : 01:44:42
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"Celtic" could basically mean anything from Europe which isn't "Germanic" or "Mediterranean", lol.
But I say forget all this Celtic Elf nonsense, anyhow, unless you're an elf-lover. And canon be damned. Whenever I wanted to depict an "uncivilized" wild elf, I would use an exaggerated elfy-nasal Quebecois French accent. Dwarven NPCs from different clans had accents ranging from German to Austrian to Russian. Citizens of Cormyr and Sembia tended to speak plainly, but would affect a bit of a condescending/reserved British-like sneer when attempting to present themselves as superior to each other. My Moonsea folk were basically a bunch of redneck lumberjacks, not all dumb but not particularly verbose when beer and fists can be eloquent enough. My Rastafarian halflings always amused the players. My Ferengi halflings always worried the players. But if I needed a foreigner, say a Rashemi, I would just invent a generic foreign accent and odd patterns of speech ... and typically demand a comprehend languages or the like. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2015 : 01:56:02
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Well, I did propose specificaly Welsh, not genericaly Celtic. It actualy has a bit of evidence in the Elvish language in Faerun, and is something multiple other works gone for, from Tolkien with Sindarin, to Dragon Age, which actualy since the second game, gave the Dalish Elves Welsh accents.
[EDIT]
Also, the choice of Rastafarian ad Ferengi dwarves, is very interesting. I usualy subconciously asociate Ferengi with Goblins, but that's probably because of Warcraft. |
Edited by - Baltas on 10 Jul 2015 11:46:02 |
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GungHo
Seeker
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jul 2015 : 18:59:29
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| Going by the video games, I'm going to assume that Baldur's Gate is in Alabama. "Ah serve tha Flamin' Fist" |
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Accents around the Realms
