Injecting French "colour" into KotF

[Zim]

*cough* TheFlax *cough*

Yes there was a major issue with immersion across the board in LotR because the names were too hard to remember and spell.

Apologies to Tristan in advance, but we need to keep that in mind before going too Francaphone, as I believe he is the only French speaker amongst us.

[_Tristan_]

No need for apologies... You've all had to bear my certainly not perfect English for years now...

[ULC]

No need for apologies... You've all had to bear my certainly not perfect English for years now...

Yes, because my English is perfect. Come now Tristan, you speak better English then most Americans I know.

[Cecil XIX]

For the record, I would prefer a geographical naming scheme as well.

[AussieGiant]

Oh please Tristan. Your written English is excellent.

The only thing I know how to say in French is:

"Je suis ananas!!" And I need help spelling that right now.

Thanks for the tip Zimmy. I didn't know Flaxywas French. Good to know.

[mini]

As I'm from belgium, I speak dutch/french and english

with some german and spanish on the side :p
So I don't care either way about the names.

[_Tristan_]

I didn't know Flaxywas French. Good to know.

He's not. He's CANADIAN

Vive le Quebec Libre !!!

[TinCow]

Thanks for the tip Zimmy. I didn't know Flaxywas French. Good to know.

I think he's Quebecois.

[AussieGiant]

Oh god.

A Quebecois, he seems so relaxed and likeable chap...totally not what I remember from Montreal.

I'm just stirring.

[TheFlax]

No everyone from Montreal is crazy AG.

Since I'm not a separatist, I refer to myself as a Canadian usually. (Although I don't mind being referred to as a Quebecois)

Enough digressing.

I take we are pretty much settled on the four house names?

[AussieGiant]

No everyone from Montreal is crazy AG.

Since I'm not a separatist, I refer to myself as a Canadian usually. (Although I don't mind being referred to as a Quebecois)

Enough digressing.

I take we are pretty much settled on the four house names?

Them's some comforting words Flaxinator. Nothing like a good separatist burnin' on the morning air to get the day started.

Happy Canada Day for the 1st!!

[Ramses II CP]

I can read French, and write it a little (badly), so I'm quite looking forward to our touches of color in this round.

[OverKnight]

What are some good (but Forum safe) oaths or swears in French? I want something to draw on when things get heated in battle or the Council.

From reading some Harry Turtledove books about an alternate World War I I'm under the impression that Quebecois may swear by naming parts of a Church, ie "Tabernac!" Would this be applicable to medieval French (similar to the English "God's wounds") or am I off base?

Of course weren't there two main dialects of French in this time period?

[TheFlax]

I'll let Tristan answer this, but if Quebecois curse words are needed, I can easily make a list.

[AussieGiant]

All I know is that there will be a lot of "merde" everywhere.

Plus a few "Mon dieu's" for good measure.

[_Tristan_]

Of course weren't there two main dialects of French in this time period?

Yes, there were langue d'oil, spoken in the north of France and langue d'oc, spoken in the south.

As to swearing, I'll try and compile a list.

One of the most useful one in the starting years might be Bougre d'anglais !! (which could translate as English MF)

[Zim]

Was langue d'oc the same as Provencal? I recall reading it was a bit of a lingua franca for part of the Middle Ages...

Yes, there were langue d'oil, spoken in the north of France and langue d'oc, spoken in the south.

As to swearing, I'll try and compile a list.

One of the most useful one in the starting years might be Bougre d'anglais !! (which could translate as English MF)

[_Tristan_]

Was langue d'oc the same as Provencal? I recall reading it was a bit of a lingua franca for part of the Middle Ages...

Yes and no... They share the same basis but langue d'oc was the "official" language while provençal was rather a dialect derived from the former.

But a speaker of one would have understood the speaker of the other.

Which wouldn't have been true of langue d'oc/langue d'oil speaker (think wallon/flemish in Belgium)

[Cecil XIX]

Speaking of flavor, there was a book I discovered a while back called 'A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry'. It's a translated treatise by a French knight from the Hundred Years' War named Geoffroi de Charny, who died in the Battle of Poitiers where he had the honor of carrying the Oriflamme. It's a very good resource, as it was commissioned by the King of France to serve as a manual for a new order of French knights that the King had hoped to create.

As far as I know, it's the only book of chivalry written by an actual medieval knight. I highly recommend it.

[Andres]

As I'm from belgium, I speak dutch/french and english

Same here.

[TinCow]

Speaking of flavor, there was a book I discovered a while back called 'A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry'. It's a translated treatise by a French knight from the Hundred Years' War named Geoffroi de Charny, who died in the Battle of Poitiers where he had the honor of carrying the Oriflamme. It's a very good resource, as it was commissioned by the King of France to serve as a manual for a new order of French knights that the King had hoped to create.

As far as I know, it's the only book of chivalry written by an actual medieval knight. I highly recommend it.

Very interesting. One comment I would make though is that for those seeking to be historically accurate, the starting date of our game (1080) is still in the early period of chivalry. It certainly existed at that point, but I don't think it was quite as popular or with as much of a formalized code as it achieved by the 13th and 14th centuries. I feel like in France in 1080, chivalry as we know it now was still in its infancy. That should make for some interesting story lines for anyone who wants to pursue it; determine what a proper code of chivalry IS and how exactly a chivalric knight behaves. Does it apply only to other knights? How about to heathens? How closely is it connected to the Church, and how closely to politics?

Food for thought.

[AussieGiant]

Same here.

Good god Andres, your Belgique??

[TinCow]

Good god Andres, your Belgique??

Don't hold it against him, he really is a decent fellow.

[AussieGiant]

Don't hold it against him, he really is a decent fellow.

Non, Non, it is too late, we'll be drowning in bureaucracy and excellent beer before we know it!!

[Andres]

Good god Andres, your Belgique??

I plead guilty

Non, Non, it is too late, we'll be drowning in bureaucracy and excellent beer before we know it!!

You're forgetting the fries. And the chocolate. And the mussels. I'm hungry.

[AussieGiant]

I plead guilty



You're forgetting the fries. And the chocolate. And the mussels. I'm hungry.

oohhh yeah, Leffe Blonde and mussels in white wine sauce...ooohhhh.

[econ21]

Apropos nothing, I was thinking that the appropriate medieval term for a M2TW unit would be a "company". So you would have a company of archers, of knights, of spearmen etc. I think in KotR I may have used "regiment", but I think company fits better with our French feudal set-up.

So I would recommend we talk in character of (campaigning) "seasons" not turns and "companies" rather than "units". People are free to use whatever terminology they like, but I find having to use units and turns when drafting IC laws and orders etc rather immersion breaking. Sorry for being anal.

[TinCow]

I very much like "companies" and "seasons." They sound better than anything we have previously used.

[The Lemongate]

Ah, a little correction here because I've seen it a few times

Francia/Frankia is not France. It refers more or less to the territory of the Franks in the fading days of the Western Roman Empire as well as under Charlemagne and the Carolingians. The latin name used under the Capetians (minus probably the very, very first, Hugh Capet) would be Regnum Francorum. The term Francia would be more in use in the Holy Roman Empire and in the Eastern Roman Empire than in France itself. The terms France and French themselves appear only towards 1200 under Phillippe August II of France. In "our" times, it is known as the Kingdom of the Franks and the French are called mainly Franks.

Anyways, the expressions Kingdom of the Franks and Franks might be a tad extreme to include in the RP all the time, but Francia does sound way out.

Maybe for easier use, someone looking to refer to the Kingdom in latin could call it simply the Regnum.

My 10 cents

[OverKnight]

Something that's been bugging me: If a person from France is a Frenchman, what would you call someone from Lorraine, or the other Duchies? Lorraineman seems wrong.

Edit: I live in the state of Massachusetts, but I don't think I've ever been referred to as a Massachusettian or anything. According to the internet a state law passed in 1990 says I'm a Bay Stater. Learn something new every day.