hey there love, so i'm having a little trouble with language & slang about the 15th century. do you happen to have links to anything to help me out? thank you!
Hi there! I formed some links for you below – but as I mainly roleplay myself in the 15th to 16th century, I also added my own tips and tricks!
Links:
English Slang 1400 To 1680
Renaissance Literature PDFs
Revolution in Writing in the Renaissance
A List of Forgotten Words.
Some personal tricks:
001. Avoid adverbs that modify adjectives such as “very”. Some I tend to use instead are ‘terribly’, ‘remarkably’, ‘unutterably’. (Speaking of the word instead, a commonly used phrase was “in the stead of ___”!)
002. Avoid common phrases that we use nowadays when writing ye-olde references! For example you could switch out ‘actually/to be honest’ with any of the following: for my part, in truth, in actuality.
003. I know – this might seem like purple prose but the following tricks are especially useful!
Winter, Summer, Spring = Wintertide, Summertide, Springtide
From now on = hereafter, hereinafter (“nothing I say hereafter is intended to relate to the second decision”)
Before now = heretofore, hitherto. (ex: "diseases that heretofore were usually confined to rural areas")
Often = Oft, ofttimes, frequently.
004. Hitching onto the earlier idea, literary words can be used as great synonyms without making your writing overly mawkish! You can find a great list of those here. (by the way, all things I mention will be linked below in a summary!)
005. Another fun trick is modifying the phrase “there were many ___”. It sounds great to say “there were many a ___”. The noun must remain singular (i.e. “there were many a scholar” as opposed to scholars.)
006. EXTRA IMPORTANT RULE. Minimize the use of “oh my God” or “Satan’s spawn” as an insult. This could get your character in some serious trouble! Some phrases that would’ve been used include “God’s blood” or “Body of God”, if your character is hellbent on blaspheming.
007. Eschew from words such as “alright” or “okay.” There are far better alternatives that Google will pull up for you in a matter of moments!
008. Also speaking of google, here is a fun tip! You can always ascertain the age/frequency of a word when googling definitions. As a rule, I try and avoid words written in or after the 20th century. Here is an example, though it is important to note that it is not always accurate.
Relationships:
I was debating putting this in here, but I soon realised it was of the essence.
Make sure you have your titles/forms of address down. Depending on the closeness of the relationship you’re writing, this will surely alter, but here’s a primer on some forms of address!
One’s Dad: Father
One’s Mom: Mother, lady mother for royals.
We know there was no word “father” in middle english. In The Physician’s Tale from The Canterbury Tales we hear: “Ye fadres and ye moodres, eek also, Though ye han children, be it oon or two,” but it is a far more realistic substitute for dad or pop.
King: Your Grace or Your Majesty (latter term coined in King Henry VIII’s court). Using ‘Your Highness’ might make you a head shorter!
Queen: Her Grace or Her Majesty
Princes/Princesses: Your Highness.
Dukes/Duchesses: Your Grace, never My Lady/Lordship.
Nobles Beneath Dukes: My Lord, Ladyship and Madam.
You’ll find some forms of address for the clergy and religious officials here.
And here is a far better primer on Elizabethean forms of address.
And as a side note: Edward George, Duke of Somerset, would sign any legal documents or personal missives as Edward Somerset. Your character might also refer to themselves as their title (many nobles were known to call their close friends after their respective landholdings) which is beneficial to know when introducing oneself.
References to Clothing:
An easy and effective way to spruce up one’s writing is referencing real life happenings, whether it be artists, uproars or clothing from your character’s time! But – do beware, things such as Hessians, which were all the rage in Jane Austen’s lifetime, would not have been in existence during the time of Joan of Arc. Jane would have worn muslin, whilst Joan might’ve fancied cloaks of ermine.
Try doing a little research before saying “her skirts swished around her heels”!
Furthermore, one’s clothing would depend on the climes of the time or their income. You’ll be able to find the latter here, and the former can be made by inferences. Simply put, google either renaissance or medieval map of “[your character’s country]” and you should be able to decide the weather of the region they reside in.
A Brush-Up on Court:
It is important to note that court never stayed in one place. The fear of sickness and danger was too potent for a King to remain in one of his many lavish residencies. Kings frequently embarked on what are now known as royal progresses – “A tour of their kingdom by a monarch and his or her retinue and entourage.” This is sometimes called a royal entry, and there are various wikipedia references at your disposal.
Other Roleplayers:
These are simply some trends I’ve seen other historical roleplayers use that might be confusing to a beginner to intermediate period writer:
The use of “Mine eyes” or a similar phrase. Simply put, this is an archaic way to say my eyes. You can use this with anything: mine heart, mine hands, etc.
I am loathe to….: I don’t want to do this.
As was desire of her….: Something was wanted of her.
Wine is often referred to as the blood of Christ.
Water was not frequently drunk due to the idea of fermenting bacteria. Ale and wine were much more common alternatives, typically served in chalices or goblets. This is heavily underlined in most historical roleplays.
Relations to Greek mythology will be present. During the Renaissance, Greek literature would have been an integral aspect of a lavish education.
Fodder for starters or other conversations can be used by picking an upcoming date from this calendar and working from there. Elizabethan is a bit late for 15th century – but its helpful nonetheless.
Some final tips:
The best tip I could give is to watch movies taking place in the time period you’re trying to emulate. Read biographies from the time, letters, and even listening to music can help! There will be nuances in programs such as The Tudors and Vikings, both far cries from the dialect of their respective time periods, but hey – it creates an ear for certain words, and it’ll be a great start! Here is a great example of a playlist to listen to whilst immersing yourself in the 15th century.
Avoid contractions (without sounding offbeat) or overly modern words, etc. You don’t have to be flowery, per se, but it can help!
Depending on if you’re writing as a more educated or lower class individual, the writing and slang will change. Make note of that in your descriptions, not the dialogue.
Any writer can benefit from reading. I’d suggest Chaucer for this purpose, as he demonstrates the extremism of medieval literature.
