What Should We Call This?

Fantasy Language and Terminology

The Field of the Cloth of Gold, 16th century oil painting

Another classic hallmark of the fantasy genre is the terminology. Readers expect a certain amount of wizarding words or deep space techno jargon. This new world or galaxy we’re building is supposed to be a different place so the lexicon, at least to some degree, should reflect that.

WADING POOL OR CLIFF DIVING?

How to go about introducing these new terms?

To aid the reader, start slow. As creators, we may forget that no one will know the world better than us. We may lose perspective on how much time we’ve spent tinkering and immersing ourselves in the world. We need to consider and calibrate how much information we expect readers to absorb (and how quickly).

Opening passages with references to new terms for days, months, seasonal cycles and introducing festivals and dynastic history can feel like taking the plunge into a new world versus gently gliding in to test the waters.

The classic example of too much, too fast is the I Love Lucy scene with Lucy and Ethel in the wrapping department of the chocolate factory when the conveyor belt is at high speed. When the speed was lower, things worked better.

I don’t think there is a hard-and-fast rule here, simply to be mindful. Feedback on draft versions can certainly help to calibrate.

Context helps. As a new term is introduced, use the supporting dialogue or overall scene to reinforce the meaning.

BUFFET STYLE

Creating new terms and idioms is part of the fun of worldbuilding. There is an art in crafting new terms and sayings that fit the genre, but what about choosing from topic-specific words that already exist?

Which term to use? Let’s say we have a formation of troops. Leaving aside that these terms denote different numbers of soldiers, let’s just focus on the words. Legion. Cohort. Phalanx. Impi. Tumen. Regiment. Battalion. Which word (or words) best conveys the vibe you want in the story?

All languages have words with origins from other cultures or linguistic families, but some words stand out more than others.

If we are using legion, cohort, ballista, there is a sense of connection, whether intended or unintended, to the Roman Empire.

Instead of ballista, I used the term “torsion crossbow” in the tale of Ardalencor. In place of trebuchet, I opted for “stone thrower” and used “cow basket” to describe the counterweight.

I did use gambeson to describe the padded coats worn by soldiers. That’s a word of French origin and while I also used padded coat or padded jack, I like gambeson, too.

Why gambeson and not trebuchet? Personal taste. Other than how the words sound and what I think fits for Ardalencor, I don’t have much more of an answer than that.

I used the word “machicolation,” a very specific term of French origin, in describing the defenses of a fortress. Merriam Webster defines it as an opening between the corbels of a projecting parapet or in the floor of a gallery or roof of a portal for discharging missiles upon assailants below. Using machicolation seemed the easier path.

Spear and shield are the primary weapons of the Ardalen line infantry. The infantry fights in the close formation of a shield wall. I wanted to create a new term here. I took my cue from the shield wall. A formation of infantry with locked shields would look like one wide shield, a broad shield. Broadshield became the term I used to denote the formation as well as the rank of the group’s commander. This was an area where I thought uniqueness was needed even though the fighting formation has historical roots.

GENERAL LANGUAGE

As a tie-in to creating new words, also consider general word usage — aligning word choice to the period or setting of your story — for example, should the word “automatically” be utilized outside of a modern or futuristic setting?

The villain wanted to catch the hero off guard, but the hero automatically put his hands up at the slightest movement.

I would suggest that instinctively, quickly, or reflexively works better, in particular, in a pre-computer world.

Leave a comment with your thoughts. What other suggestions would you give to writers and worldbuilders?