Kurapika headcanons on language
I have made some kind of character analysis/HCs about kurapika and sent it all to a friend of mine. She thought maybe I could post it on Tumblr so here we go!
‼️this whole analysis is thus HEAVILY inspired by my own headcanons and I hope it won't be too much of a bother. Leopika is mentioned near the end.
[Also English isn't my first language so pardon my mistakes.]
Kurapika and the issue of language:
Kurapika's English ("english", I have no idea what the official language in hxh is called so it'll be English for practical purposes) is almost fluent, yet not really.
As a tween, kurapika's knowledge of English was minimal, he might've known a few sentences or words out of curiosity as we already know he liked the idea of the world outside of his clan. He did possess many books, including English ones, but he could only understand the half of it or less. After meeting Sheila (volume 0) he decides to actually, thoroughly learn English so that he'll understand more of the world he wants to explore. Additionally he has to know English for his exam so that he can actually explore the outside world. His English thus improved for the best, as seen in volume 0 when he took his English test.
Even though his English is really good, I highly doubt it's fluent as there must be many words and sentences that he does not know, especially if that test that was handled to him was more about the"practical" use of English rather than the every day use of English.
When his clan died, I felt like he went mute for some months. That's my headcanons of course and you're free to disregard it. But I do think he would not even say a word for some months, it would be as a trauma response and also because he does not want or need to talk to anyone. The first months of his survival would imply living alone, stealing, etc...he would be very avoidant to people as he wouldn't be able to face them (mentally). So he went mute, thus forgetting maybe half of the words he had learned for the exam ONLY (I'm definitely not saying he forgot everything but those words he learned in a rush maybe). Also he could not practice it as he did not talk to people, nor did he talk to himself in English, because why would he when kurtan is his mother tongue.
When he speaks again it's out of necessity. Short sentences, useful, he doesn't talk if it's unnecessary. So again, he can talk English even tho it's only practical, he cannot really practice it at its fullest.
For years he does not speak much. He can, and does if he has to because you can't escape the language that surrounds you, he'd learn anyways just by being there. Yet he's not as fluent as we saw him in the hunter exam or after.
He decides to take the hunter exam: he has to improve his English as well, because there's no way he'll make a fool out of himself. He finds books again, tries to speak more, most importantly focusing on his accent which was still present when he talked. He's as focused as he was when he was 12 and preparing to go outside of his clan. When people ask him if he's a foreigner, he tries even harder, because training isn't only about his physical condition.
By the time he takes the hunter exam, he's so SO much better, better in English than he was at 12 years old. No one really notices anymore, his accent is unnoticed and he chooses his words carefully but wisely. People even think he's acting sophisticated (especially with that bratty behaviour lol) but it works for him and that's what matters.
However, his 1st language will always be kurtan. No matter how good his English is, almost fluent, he will lack a limited *tiny* amount of vocabulary. When he's with his friends, he talks and sometimes he pauses, choosing his words for way too long. If they start talking about a topic that kurapika doesn't really know anything about, he'll have to ask for the meaning of a word at some point, leaving his pride on the side. Very rarely, you can catch a glimpse of his accent slipping out if he's panicked, speaking fast, angry or simply trying to spell out a word he discovered (while acting as if he knew it because he's too proud to admit he didn't know it already).
Still his English is almost fluent even if he makes a few mistakes sometimes.
Non-chronological thoughts:
_ No, I did not forget that kurapika also spoke another language. He speaks the language of the beasts In the hunter exam. Even tho I've made a whole paragraph on "English" (which, I want to remind you, I use to describe the common language in hxh) and said kurapika wasn't perfect, that's not an issue because no one is truly fluent in english. I'm pretty sure that native speakers even lack some vocabulary. So overall, kurapika can afford to learn other languages such as any student choosing a second language to study. When he was bored and done on his studies on the English language, he'd read some books about this other language which was used by the beasts. It was probably easier (?).
_ Kurapika feels so guilty because he's slowly forgetting some words in kurtan. He has no one to speak to in kurtan anymore, and has started to speak to himself in English too as he's SURROUNDED by it. He doesn't read, doesn't speak, doesn't write in kurtan. When he notices, he's Angry towards himself.
_ His friends (main 4) are actually curious about his language and wouldn't hesitate to ask him questions about it after some time. At first they don't really notice or think about it. Then one day, when kurapika's accent slips out, they're suddenly reminded "hey, this guy knows a whole ass dead language? And we don't even know anything about it?" And so they'd ask questions. Kurapika would be shy at first but very happy, as he can finally speak freely to someone in kurtan.
Also I feel like it would be mostly leorio, not only because I love him but also because he's the actual student here. Killua's too nonchalant (don't come at me, I'm not focused on his character enough💔) and gon would get curious for like 5 seconds and then forget. Leorio's also in med school so he HAS to be even a little curious about humans in an anthropological way.
_When Leorio and him are closer than ever, together or anything, Leorio (being in love with kurapika obviously) would even ask him to teach him. (Spoiler kurapika cried a bit, of happiness obviously. He did not let Leorio see it tho lol).
Voilà ! I hope this can be interesting to anyone. Again this analysis IS inspired by the version of kurapika that I picture in my head. So of course it might not correlate with any of your beliefs. Yet this was so so fun to write! I love him with my whole being and my unhealthy obsession towards him finally manifested itself haha
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