The trouble with titles
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Hi everyone!
I’ve been
overthinkingrethinking the titles of my series. As most of y’all know, the series in question is a fantasy trilogy in a desert setting.With that for context, onward to the titles.
The initial idea was:
- The Tribe of Sand and Azure
- The Assassins of Mountains and Moonlight
- The Crowns of Blood and Thunder
There are several problems with these. Firstly, they’re quite a mouthful. Personally, I always refer to them by the book number because I can’t be bothered to type out the entire thing. Secondly, it’s a bit bland. I just don’t like it anymore.
And I always feel slightly ridiculous while saying them XDNow, they were intended to be working titles, so that isn’t too much of an issue.Now, as I’ve been thinking, I’ve come up with two more options for each.
The first ideas were:
- Goldenblood
- Shadowshards
- Thundercrown
I kinda like these, but not a lot. The second one is my favorite, but the others are still a little bland.
Now, the second option, in a similar vein, but slightly to the left.
- Gilded blood
- Starless shards
- Fractured Crown
All of these have some story significance. The first one refers to nobility, as did the previous first title. (Kind of like blue-blooded refers to aristocracy. Or whatever, it just sounded cool.) Well, Liorah’s a princess, she’s the protagonist. That one’s obvious.
What I like about the use of Gilded instead of Golden is that it implies a certain falseness, as though someone is trying to make the nobility seem better than they are. I’ll say no more, but it makes sense, story-wise. 😉
Now, I liked “Shadowshards” because shadows and light and darkness are kind of symbolic themes in the books. (For those of you in the Villian’s Character Castle, the assassins’ order that Chantara belongs to is often referred to as the Shadows.)
And the shard part is a bit more obscure, but in the book, I frequently describe Chantara (An antagonist who drives a lot of the second book) with words that imply sharpness. E.g. her laugh is described as ‘sounding like shattering glass’ (It makes no sense but it’s cool!!!) and her eyes are described as cracked aquamarine, things like that. Also, it implies brokenness, which works well for the second book *Evil writers laugh*
I opted to include the ‘Starless shards’ alternative because it has an interesting contradiction. (Aren’t shards always starless? Why is that specifically stated?) It also implies darkness or shadows, and stars are frequently used to convey hope in symbolism, so it has a sense of hopelessness.
The third one was me messing around and coming up with that. I guess it also implies a falling kingdom, which sounds quite interesting?
Anyway, I call y’all here to help me out a bit. Which do you like best? Does anyone have any more suggestions? I need advice, any is welcome XD
Oh, and I also want to come up with a series name but the best title I can come up with is “Those books I’ve been spending literal years on and that still don’t have proper titles Chronicles” LOL XD
Tagging some people:
@anyone
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Ooh, I’m struggling with the same thing, Rose! (So yeah, I can’t really help. XD)
Out of the options, I think your last three are your best – they’re a unique format, very descriptive, and obviously have a lot of symbolism packed beneath each word.
Plus they just sound cool. XD
Here’s an article I found that might help! https://www.teenwritersnook.com/2021/08/21/four-tips-to-help-you-create-the-perfect-title-for-your-book/
Good luck, and let me know what you decide!
Thanks for the feedback, Joelle! I really like those too!
Ooh, thanks for the article! It has some excellent tips!
Ooh, I’m struggling with the same thing, Rose! (So yeah, I can’t really help. XD)
I’d love to help! Do you have any titles you’re trying to choose between or do you have the ‘brain empty’ problem? 🙂
Feel free to post potential titles or even just some ideas you’re trying to develop! (And that goes for anyone!)
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Yes, I’m not terribly fond of the initial ones either. Every YA fantasy book these days is named “The BLANK of BLANK and BLANK” with the same words being used over and over again. They all sound the same and confuse me. And they also don’t tend to make a lot of sense.
I like your second option. What about Shadowed Shards for the second book? Then you’d have that -ed ending like you do for the other two books.
Or you could go with the first option and just replace Goldenblood with Gilded Blood and make the titles two words. I really like Gilded Blood if you couldn’t tell.
Hope this helps some!
"Can't have dirty garbage."
Andd… another idea for the third book’s title just occurred to me! (I really don’t like “Fractured crown” XD)
I think “Smoke Circlet” or maybe “Smoke Crown” sounds somewhat better? Fire is very recurrent in the books, and smoke also has the implication of destruction and things lost. And it has a cool contradiction since there’s no way smoke would be a crown.
I don’t know, I’m struggling with this one. I think once I’ve actually written it, or even just plotted it, it would be easier XD
Oh, and I’m not absolutely set on the titles being together in those strict sets, I may end up mixing and matching my favorites.
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Yes, I’m not terribly fond of the initial ones either. Every YA fantasy book these days is named “The BLANK of BLANK and BLANK” with the same words being used over and over again. They all sound the same and confuse me. And they also don’t tend to make a lot of sense.
LOL, yes! I actually used to like it but it’s an absolute pain to write out and everyone either loves or hates that format XD I don’t like those first ones at all anymore XD
I like your second option. What about Shadowed Shards for the second book? Then you’d have that -ed ending like you do for the other two books.
Or you could go with the first option and just replace Goldenblood with Gilded Blood and make the titles two words. I really like Gilded Blood if you couldn’t tell.
Ooh, that’s a really cool idea! I really like Gilded Blood too, it just sounds cool! Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Hi Rose,
I think, since you are doing a trilogy, one thing that seems to work well is a unifying title, with each installment as a subtitle.
One to four-word titles seems to work for unity very well in the market.
Think of it this way:
1. Dune – by Frank Herbert – keyword: “Dune”
2. Star Wars: A New Hope – by George Lucas – keyword: “Star Wars”
3. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring – by J.R.R. Tolkien – keyword: “LOTR”
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe – by C.S. Lewis – keyword: “Narnia”
5. The Sword of Shanarah – by Terry Brooks – keyword: “Shanarah”Each of these famous titles generated several books in the series, but they all had unifier words that could be referred to by shorthand in a pinch.
Let each novel have a distinctive subtitle of one of these:The first ideas were: Goldenblood Shadowshards Thundercrown I kinda like these, but not a lot. The second one is my favorite, but the others are still a little bland. Now, the second option, in a similar vein, but slightly to the left. Gilded blood Starless shards Fractured Crown
Come up with a keyword or short title that unifies each serial novel as part of the whole.
In my series, the singular word I use is “Excavatia”–a word that hints at something hidden or buried that must be dug up or discovered. As such, I can refer to the whole set as the “Excavatia novels”, in the same way, someone might refer to C.S. Lewis’s novels as the “Narnia novels” or Tolkien’s works as the “Middle-Earth novels” (which would include The Simarrilion and related material along with The Hobbit, etc.). See how this simplifies things?
My four planned books (tetralogy) are titled:
1. Excavatia: From Dust Arise
2. Excavatia: A Swirl of Ashes
3. Excavatia: Walls of Stone
4. Excavatia: In The FleshEvery subtitle has a distinctive hint at a component of the emerging story that has a milestone of the building story arc.
The first novel’s subtitle “From Dust Arise” hints at the creation of mankind and their discovery of who they are and their “calling” as awakened, living beings. Book 1 is also a discovery and orientation novel that sets the characters into the mysterious place where they begin the quest that will reveal to them who they are.
The second novel “A Swirl of Ashes” deals with a trial by fire. Fire is very much a large part of the second novel, but it also hints at major tests and trials of a Refiner’s Fire that purges them of their assumptions, misunderstandings and places them in further jeopardy with the quest suffering what seems to be a major setback, which is actually pivotal into the next phase of the story arc.
The third novel “Walls of Stone” hints at the almost impossible tasks before them as the threat level surges upward and seems to overshadow and block the actions they seek to accomplish, but it also introduces them to their most dangerous ascent of a wall of mountains where the ancient creature sleeping for millennia, must be confronted to fulfill their quest objective.
The fourth novel “In The Flesh” reveals the final climactic sequences that have personal implications to the characters who have made the journey that impacts, not only their experiences in the novel’s mystical lands but in their own personal lives back in the places in time from which they were called and transported.
The whole series is about finding the prophetic gate stones and bringing them to the captured crown to complete the opening of the Hidden Kingdom of Excavatia that will usher in the emergence of the High King’s total rule and the overthrow of the strongholds of warring sub-kingdoms.
The concept and very name of that term “Excavatia” is the unifying theme and central point of the series. The story is replete with mysteries both within the story but also resonates within actual biblical passages that indicate more profound concepts.Find that short key concept for a unifier and that may help.
The inaugural movie, now called “A New Hope”, kicked off the Star Wars series and the franchise was originally only referred to as “Star Wars” in 1977. It was only after the prequels were made in 1999 that they recast the first as synonymous with the subtitle in the famous scrawling texts of the opening.
Brian Stansell (aka O'Brian of the Surface World)
I was born in war.
Fighting from my first breath.*skids in*
Oh I do like those last few titles, I didn’t think you needed to change the title until I saw those, verrry nice!
I see everybody’s already noted the symbolic and plot-relevant angle for titles but another thing you might consider is looking up on Amazon your niche genre and get as niche-y and niche-y can be and look at the pattern for how the titles sound there. Like @sparrowhawke observed every YA seems to be named “the BLANK of BLANK and BLANK” and that may be to market? Just look at what the best-sellers are entitled and tweek some if you want.
Also SMOKE CIRCLET PLEASE DO SMOKE CIRCLET IT SOUNDS WAY COOLER THAN SMOKE CROWN!!!!! Or at least…it looks way cooler XDD …a slightly more abstract noun I feel like I’ve heard “crown” everywhere but “circlet” have a bit of freshness to it.
And like @obrian-of-the-surface-world pointed out, give a “unity title” too, like some book series I love reading is the Inkheart Trilogy (Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath) and the Land of Elyon books (Dark Hills Divide, Beyond the Valley of Thorns etc) and the Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brazinger, Inheritance) but they have individual titles but with unity and now that I’m talking about this I’m itching to change my titles AGAIN!!!
Right now the running titles individual titles are: Antihero (no look, the word is gorgeous and dramatic it’s fiery red and hint of blue cos ‘hero’ is blue and…nevermind XDD), Ash, Reprisal, Firebird. It’s got the dark hero edge and fire-themed symbolism so that’s…that. Maybe I should call the series the Burn-Soul, Burnheart (the word burn looks really epic too XDD) Cycle, Chronicles, Saga…Or maybe the Edge of Fire, or Soul-Tip Phoenix, Fireborn Saga, Storm-Soul, or the Soulfire Series…now I’m thinking outloud…Dang now I wanna change my titles!!!
(Maybe it doesn’t need to be one word, maybe it’s…Cold-Blooded Blaze, Line of Consent, Hero’s Crime…sounds too much like a modern psychological thriller, mine’s a YA high fantasy, psychological thriller…Crackling Blood, Edge of Fire still goot, Wingtip Blaze, Burn-Fade…heh, I’ll see myself out now 😁)To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
Sorry for the late reply!
First of all, I really like your titles! They’re really cool!
Find that short key concept for a unifier and that may help.
That’s a good idea, and I’ll definitely consider it! Though, I do notice it gets used more for series longer than three books. Trilogies usually have independent titles (Though they often have elements in common. E.g. Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant. Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay.) Then they usually end up being referred to by the first book’s name.
Still, thanks for your advice! I’ll definitely look into it and see if I can come up with anything cool!
Yay!! You’re here! Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!
I see everybody’s already noted the symbolic and plot-relevant angle for titles but another thing you might consider is looking up on Amazon your niche genre and get as niche-y and niche-y can be and look at the pattern for how the titles sound there. Like sparrowhawke observed every YA seems to be named “the BLANK of BLANK and BLANK” and that may be to market? Just look at what the best-sellers are entitled and tweek some if you want.
You’re totally right! I actually did do that. LOL, I found a joke somewhere that all YA books must contain one of the following words or pay a fine: blood crow queen ice crown fire bone true academy glass shade kingdom world shadow song sun ember secret legend star raven thief.
It’s obviously a joke but not bad advice. Because those words are so common in YA fantasy they also sound like it XD I often just kinda read my titles out loud and try to hear if they sound like the genre.
Oh, and about the BLANK of BLANK and BLANK scheme, the problem I found with it is that it’s by now associated with several really big series, so it’ll sound like those, and that was a few years ago. I haven’t seen any new books come out with those, actually.
Also SMOKE CIRCLET PLEASE DO SMOKE CIRCLET IT SOUNDS WAY COOLER THAN SMOKE CROWN!!!!! Or at least…it looks way cooler XDD …a slightly more abstract noun I feel like I’ve heard “crown” everywhere but “circlet” have a bit of freshness to it.
Exactly! I’m glad you like it! That was my favorite too!
they have individual titles but with unity and now that I’m talking about this I’m itching to change my titles AGAIN!!!
LOL! XD That’s a really good tip! That’s why I originally had all the books in the same titling thing. I think I’m going to do something similar now. Basically: Adjective Noun.
Right now the running titles individual titles are: Antihero (no look, the word is gorgeous and dramatic it’s fiery red and hint of blue cos ‘hero’ is blue and…nevermind XDD), Ash, Reprisal, Firebird. It’s got the dark hero edge and fire-themed symbolism so that’s…that. Maybe I should call the series the Burn-Soul, Burnheart (the word burn looks really epic too XDD) Cycle, Chronicles, Saga…Or maybe the Edge of Fire, or Soul-Tip Phoenix, Fireborn Saga, Storm-Soul, or the Soulfire Series…now I’m thinking outloud…Dang now I wanna change my titles!!!
(Maybe it doesn’t need to be one word, maybe it’s…Cold-Blooded Blaze, Line of Consent, Hero’s Crime…sounds too much like a modern psychological thriller, mine’s a YA high fantasy, psychological thriller…Crackling Blood, Edge of Fire still goot, Wingtip Blaze, Burn-Fade…heh, I’ll see myself out now )OooOOH! Those are just too cool! Lemme see… I like those titles you have right now! Antihero, Ash, Reprisal, Firebird. Firebird is my favorite!
Some others that pop into my head when I think of those… (Not that you have to change those, I love them, I’m just thinking out loud since you were thinking about titles 🙂 )
Burning Hero, Ashen Glow, Ember Reprisal, Fire Wings. Those are kind of random, but maybe they give you ideas! They seem to fit Alessio and the themes you have going on… And I just noticed they have a kinda accidental cycle thingy. First burning, then it turns to ash, then the ash slowly starts glowing, becomes an ember, and finally a fire again. That’s kinda cool!
I once heard the problem with one-word titles is that they’re not great for marketing because they’re harder to find online, but still, some of the most popular books have them so… *shrugs*
For series names, I LOVE Edge of Fire and Burnheart! They sound so epic!!
Thank you all again for your help! I decided to name the books… *drumroll*
- Gilded Blood
- Shadow Shards
- Smoke Circlet
(Starless Shards sounded more contemporary? Somehow?) Anyway, I’m way happier with these!
And now I have the coolest cover ideas! I really don’t like my old covers either, I made them a while ago, and yikes. *Shudders* XD
Thanks, y’all!:)
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
You’re totally right! I actually did do that. LOL, I found a joke somewhere that all YA books must contain one of the following words or pay a fine: blood crow queen ice crown fire bone true academy glass shade kingdom world shadow song sun ember secret legend star raven thief.
LOL *actually notes all those words for future reference there* It’s definitely a good idea to sound like your genre XDD. I’m glad the BLANK of BLANK and BLANK has lost popularity, it’s rather boring XD.
Exactly! I’m glad you like it! That was my favorite too!
YAY!
LOL! XD That’s a really good tip! That’s why I originally had all the books in the same titling thing. I think I’m going to do something similar now. Basically: Adjective Noun.
Ooh good idea! I only had a very vague system XD
Firebird is my favorite!
Oh thanks! I like Firebird too, it looks pretty.
Some others that pop into my head when I think of those… (Not that you have to change those, I love them, I’m just thinking out loud since you were thinking about titles ) Burning Hero, Ashen Glow, Ember Reprisal, Fire Wings. Those are kind of random, but maybe they give you ideas! They seem to fit Alessio and the themes you have going on… And I just noticed they have a kinda accidental cycle thingy. First burning, then it turns to ash, then the ash slowly starts glowing, becomes an ember, and finally a fire again. That’s kinda cool!
Oooh (definitely getting my writer-brain rolling with titles! XD)
Oh nono no! I INTEND that cycle!! I really wanted my story-titles to have that feel like a phoenix rising from ashes, *dramatic voice* death and rebirth firey symbolism!!!
(lemmie see, with those titles…Hero’s Lies…nah, I’m stuck on Antihero for now…Ashen-Burn, Ashen Soul–Ember Reprisal, Ember Reprisal sounds cool! Firebird Wings,
Shadow-Soul, Ashen Blaze, Ember Reprisal, Firebird Wind…I once heard the problem with one-word titles is that they’re not great for marketing because they’re harder to find online, but still, some of the most popular books have them so… *shrugs*
Lol I always thought one-word titles were dramatic and exciting! XD but yeah..finding online.
For series names, I LOVE Edge of Fire and Burnheart! They sound so epic!!
Thank you!! I think I’m gonna go with Edge of Fire now cos I really like that one, thanks so much for helping me decide!!! (Plus it has THREE words; marketing! XD)
Thank you all again for your help! I decided to name the books… *drumroll* Gilded Blood Shadow Shards Smoke Circlet (Starless Shards sounded more contemporary? Somehow?) Anyway, I’m way happier with these! And now I have the coolest cover ideas! I really don’t like my old covers either, I made them a while ago, and yikes. *Shudders* XD
OoOooh! Yes! Those sound awesome. (Aaaand yes, I have way too many cover ideas now too! XD)
To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
Titles are just the worst arent they? I like yours @rose-colored-fancy, they’re more unique than most book titles. I literally walk into a book shop seeking great fantasy novels – and all I get are copycat titles. A court of this and that. The heir of this and that. Please people, at least try to be creative :/
My series itself is gonna have one name, which like you said @obrian-of-the-surface-world works very well in general. For now I am going with The Laochrua Cycle, because I managed to come up with it after much deliberation. And I’m kind of proud of it too, so I would be disappointed if it didn’t end up being the endgame title. The cycle part is significant because in Irish mythology, the sagas are split into different sections. There’s the Mythological Cycle, the Ulster Cycle, the Fenian Cycle and the Historical Cycle. So I thought hmm, my story is basically a continuation of the tales. So why not stick with that method?😄
Laochrua is a combination of two Irish Gaelic words – laoch (warrior) and rua (red-headed). Because the main character has red hair lol👩🏼🦰. But that’s basically gonna be the name given to her by other characters who see her as some kind of hero.
For the first book i came up with the name The Mark of Anu. I loved it – until I realised it sounds a lot like the Mark of athena by Rick Riordan😬. So now I’m going with The Sigil of Anu. I don’t know about my other titles, but I definitely want to insert words referring to Irish mythological figures, items or places, just to keep that streak going, you know? (And cause lets face it, Irish is a dead language so come on I have to do something to try save it😫😢) But any suggestions would be welcome😊
LOL *actually notes all those words for future reference there* It’s definitely a good idea to sound like your genre XDD. I’m glad the BLANK of BLANK and BLANK has lost popularity, it’s rather boring XD
It is! And whenever I find a reference to the book people always refer to it by an acronym so I’m left thinking “What is ADFIGN?” (That was just me banging on my keyboard but they all look like that!!)
Oh nono no! I INTEND that cycle!! I really wanted my story-titles to have that feel like a phoenix rising from ashes, *dramatic voice* death and rebirth firey symbolism!!!
(lemmie see, with those titles…Hero’s Lies…nah, I’m stuck on Antihero for now…Ashen-Burn, Ashen Soul–Ember Reprisal, Ember Reprisal sounds cool! Firebird Wings,
Shadow-Soul, Ashen Blaze, Ember Reprisal, Firebird Wind…Oooh, that’s so cool! I love Ashen Soul and Ember Reprisal! Those are cool!
Lol I always thought one-word titles were dramatic and exciting! XD but yeah..finding online.
They can be! But I guess that’s just something to consider. *Shrugs*
Thank you!! I think I’m gonna go with Edge of Fire now cos I really like that one, thanks so much for helping me decide!!! (Plus it has THREE words; marketing! XD)
YES!! That’s soo awesome!!
OoOooh! Yes! Those sound awesome. (Aaaand yes, I have way too many cover ideas now too! XD)
Thank you! I’m way happier with them now! Yes, the eternal cover ideas!! I have at least four for each book *Sigh* Thumbnailing, here I come XD
I like yours rose-colored-fancy, they’re more unique than most book titles. I literally walk into a book shop seeking great fantasy novels – and all I get are copycat titles. A court of this and that. The heir of this and that. Please people, at least try to be creative :/
Thank you! Yes! If I see one more “A queen of so and so” or “Court of this and that” I’m going to whack the author (Or actually the editor) Over the head with the book XD It’s getting to the point where I have trouble figuring out if I’ve read a book or not if I hear the title because they all sound the same and are kinda forgettable.
Laochrua is a combination of two Irish Gaelic words – laoch (warrior) and rua (red-headed). Because the main character has red hair lol . But that’s basically gonna be the name given to her by other characters who see her as some kind of hero.
That’s such an awesome title! I love it and I love how it links to mythology!
So now I’m going with The Sigil of Anu. I don’t know about my other titles, but I definitely want to insert words referring to Irish mythological figures, items or places, just to keep that streak going, you know? (And cause lets face it, Irish is a dead language so come on I have to do something to try save it )
That’s too cool! It’s an awesome title, really memorable, and still sounds like the genre!
Ooh, I actually had a brief fascination with Irish Gaelic a few years ago! Especially after someone told us he’d found it was almost mutually intelligible with Frisian! It’s the coolest thing!
Also, dying languages are some of the saddest things, in my personal opinion. My mother tongue is Afrikaans and it’s heartbreaking to see how it’s slowly dying because the youngest generation doesn’t speak it anymore. And I mean… it’s gorgeous! Afrikaans poetry remains superb. (Until I get stuck on the phonetic spelling. Yikes!)
Wait, what was my point? I had a point! Yeah, languages are cool. Do you speak Irish Gaelic?
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
That’s such an awesome title! I love it and I love how it links to mythology!
Aw thank you so much!
Ooh, I actually had a brief fascination with Irish Gaelic a few years ago! Especially after someone told us he’d found it was almost mutually intelligible with Frisian! It’s the coolest thing!
A lot of people love the language. Funny thing is the only people who dislike it are the actual Irish themselves. Because we have a terrible education system, as kids learn it in school for thirteen years but still come out non-fluent. It’s awful really 🙁 Oh cool! What’s Frisian might I ask? 🙂
Also, dying languages are some of the saddest things, in my personal opinion. My mother tongue is Afrikaans and it’s heartbreaking to see how it’s slowly dying because the youngest generation doesn’t speak it anymore. And I mean… it’s gorgeous! Afrikaans poetry remains superb. (Until I get stuck on the phonetic spelling. Yikes!)
Ya I know right! It’s so depressing 🙁 Oh wow awesome what country is Afrikaans from? And the current situation with that language sounds so similar to Irish. What people need to do is take measures to re-ignite interest in the language before its too late. The poetry sounds lovely, it could be used as a way to appeal to young people if they were open to it. I know that one of the reasons I became interested in Irish after so many years was after listening to sean-nós singing. There’s a beautiful singer called Sibéal, after I listened to her, I was like how did I not see how beautiful this language is?!
Wait, what was my point? I had a point! Yeah, languages are cool. Do you speak Irish Gaelic?
A little bit. But I’m not fluent unfortunately. I really want to be properly fluent, because its the language of my ancestors and it survived through thick and thin despite oppression by the British empire. I can sing in Irish, but I won’t be able to translate the lyrics right there and then haha.
I’m also looking at a lot of languages at the moment. I studied Latin for a year in college, and I’m trying to learn off prayers in that language. It’s pretty otherworldly to say the least XD. And I’m also trying to see if I can learn Hebrew, though that requires an entirely new alphabet lol.
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“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
~ St. Augustine
A lot of people love the language. Funny thing is the only people who dislike it are the actual Irish themselves. Because we have a terrible education system, as kids learn it in school for thirteen years but still come out non-fluent. It’s awful really Oh cool! What’s Frisian might I ask?
That’s exactly what it’s like with Afrikaans! It was like that too with Frisian for a while, but there’s been a rediscovery of the language and there are still many schools that teach their classes in Frisian.
Frisian is a language in the far north of the Netherlands. It’s not a dialect, though Dutch has a lot of dialects, it’s an entirely different language, and the Frisians consider themselves a separate nationality. They have a flag and an anthem, but economically and governmentally they’re dependant on the Netherlands.
Ya I know right! It’s so depressing Oh wow awesome what country is Afrikaans from? And the current situation with that language sounds so similar to Irish. What people need to do is take measures to re-ignite interest in the language before its too late. The poetry sounds lovely, it could be used as a way to appeal to young people if they were open to it. I know that one of the reasons I became interested in Irish after so many years was after listening to sean-nós singing. There’s a beautiful singer called Sibéal, after I listened to her, I was like how did I not see how beautiful this language is?!
Exactly! Afrikaans is one of the eleven national languages of South Africa. It’s basically a blend of old Dutch, some Portuguese words, some Malaysian words, and some of the African languages, though it has the double-negative of French and heavily simplified grammar. It’s an absolute Frankenstein of a language XD
It’s still taught in schools, but people just learn it well enough to pass the classes then forget about it, since they think it’s basically pointless to learn anyway, almost nobody speaks it anymore.
Add to that the fact that it’s stereotyped as a lower-class language and it’s dying. (We can blame that on the British, every ill in the world can be blamed on the British, they usually deserve it XD)
A little bit. But I’m not fluent unfortunately. I really want to be properly fluent, because its the language of my ancestors and it survived through thick and thin despite oppression by the British empire. I can sing in Irish, but I won’t be able to translate the lyrics right there and then haha.
See!? It’s the Brits’ fault again XD That’s amazing! I’m sure you’ll get it, that’s such an awesome thing to learn!
I’m also looking at a lot of languages at the moment. I studied Latin for a year in college, and I’m trying to learn off prayers in that language. It’s pretty otherworldly to say the least XD. And I’m also trying to see if I can learn Hebrew, though that requires an entirely new alphabet lol.
That’s awesome! I studied Latin too, two years ago!
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Frisian is a language in the far north of the Netherlands. It’s not a dialect, though Dutch has a lot of dialects, it’s an entirely different language, and the Frisians consider themselves a separate nationality. They have a flag and an anthem, but economically and governmentally they’re dependant on the Netherlands.
Ohh wow that’s really interesting! I have never heard of the Frisians up until now. Hehe you really do learn something every day!
Exactly! Afrikaans is one of the eleven national languages of South Africa. It’s basically a blend of old Dutch, some Portuguese words, some Malaysian words, and some of the African languages, though it has the double-negative of French and heavily simplified grammar. It’s an absolute Frankenstein of a language XD
Wow that’s so cool! I love how languages evolve and combine lots of different languages.
Add to that the fact that it’s stereotyped as a lower-class language and it’s dying. (We can blame that on the British, every ill in the world can be blamed on the British, they usually deserve it XD)
That’s awful, I hope something is done to rescue it!
Girl – cultures are destroyed or half dead because of the British. There’s a great film called ‘The Nightingale’ that highlights the oppression the Irish and the Native Tasmanians went through. It’s very violent though, so I wouldn’t watch unless you can stomach it. And I am really not kidding, like it replicates the violence of the times it was set in. But it highlights issues that the British Empire was responsible for, like indentured servitude, forced deportation, sexual abuse and genocide, which are very important.
Plus the sad thing is that in some cases, a lot of people sort of went along with the whole spiel the British army were doing. Random fact – I discovered very recently that several of my ancestors served in the Royal Irish Constabulary – the police in Ireland doing the Crown’s dirty work, like evictions, killings and food removals. It’s the definition of people turning against their own 🙁
That’s awesome! I studied Latin too, two years ago!
Oh really what did you think of it? Hard isn’t it XD
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“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
~ St. Augustine
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