Update

[calliopes_pen]

So far, I'm up to four pages in the fanfic. As the villain, I finally decided on Atherton Wing. Of course, since it's Robin Hood times, it's Sir Atherton Wing. Be afraid.

By the way, I started to have Inara mutter a curse in Chinese, but I wasn't sure if that would work. Does anyone think that could actually work for the time period? This version of Inara is still very cultured.

Comments

[lithera.livejournal.com]

While it is technically /possible/ it is /very/ unlikely. Even if she is highly cultured, it isn't likely she's been to any of the places where they would even know what Chinese sounded like.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

You could, however, have her curse in Latin. Very cultured language at the time. Greek perhaps?

[calliopes_pen]

Thank you, that will definitely work. I'll try Latin.

[calliopes_pen]

By the way, do you know of a good site for translating phrases into Latin? Or just a site of Latin curse phrases would be fine.

[kyanoswolf]

If you are writing in the period of Richard the Lionheart (the traditional Robin Hood period), there shouldn't be any Europeans familiar with Chinese. Europeans didn't reach China until about 1261. Though Middle Eastern and Indian travel along the Silk Road to China had been prevalent since Alexander the Great's time.

If your Inara were not European, perhaps Indian, she might have some contact with China before traveling to England.

[redmapletree.livejournal.com]

I don't pretend to know much about European history, but how about French? I think it was considered the language for culture and sophistication after the decline of colloquial Latin. :) I could be wrong, but it's a thought.

And I can't wait to read the fic! It sounds like it's going to be excellent.

[calliopes_pen]

Yes, French does sound like it would work better than Latin. It's also easier to find translations for from what I've seen. Thank you. :)

And I really do hope it's good. I'm currently stuck somewhere in the middle, and I'm trying to finish by tomorrow.

I'm up to the part where Little Jayne was an idiot and captured Maid Inara--Mal is furious. (I keep writing Lady Inara.)