English words in a non-english sci-fi novel












10















In the modern world, english is a well-estabilished technical and scientific language. Some terms have become so commonly used that they are accepted in my native tongue (words like "computer", "PC", "network" being examples).



I'm currently writing a science fiction novel in my native language. I deal a lot with themes like networking, artificial intelligence, computing and so on in the novel.



So, when the time comes to create make up words for very specific technologies (let's say, nanomachines), it feels normal to use english-looking words (in the example, nano-mechs).



Considering the science fiction setting, is this acceptable or alienating?










share|improve this question























  • How hard science fiction are you aiming for? What point of view is your story written from?

    – a CVn
    yesterday








  • 1





    @aCVn It's borderlining space opera. The PoV is a third person limited.

    – Liquid
    yesterday






  • 2





    I was in a similar position when I started writing my space opera in German. I decided to go with German terminology (Überlichtgeschwindigkeitsantrieb instead of faster than light drive and such), because, while the English terms are normal for me since I read pretty much only English books, the terms do have German equivalents which are usually preferred in "normal" conversation. Whether my decision was right or wrong I can't say, but it feels better to stick to the language, even if it's sometimes difficult to find an equivalent German word for an English term.

    – Morfildur
    yesterday











  • DO you mind sharing your native language with us? Certain languages use certain English Loan Words for different reasons.

    – hszmv
    yesterday











  • @hszmv Actually I do mind a bit, so I'll let you guess.

    – Liquid
    yesterday
















10















In the modern world, english is a well-estabilished technical and scientific language. Some terms have become so commonly used that they are accepted in my native tongue (words like "computer", "PC", "network" being examples).



I'm currently writing a science fiction novel in my native language. I deal a lot with themes like networking, artificial intelligence, computing and so on in the novel.



So, when the time comes to create make up words for very specific technologies (let's say, nanomachines), it feels normal to use english-looking words (in the example, nano-mechs).



Considering the science fiction setting, is this acceptable or alienating?










share|improve this question























  • How hard science fiction are you aiming for? What point of view is your story written from?

    – a CVn
    yesterday








  • 1





    @aCVn It's borderlining space opera. The PoV is a third person limited.

    – Liquid
    yesterday






  • 2





    I was in a similar position when I started writing my space opera in German. I decided to go with German terminology (Überlichtgeschwindigkeitsantrieb instead of faster than light drive and such), because, while the English terms are normal for me since I read pretty much only English books, the terms do have German equivalents which are usually preferred in "normal" conversation. Whether my decision was right or wrong I can't say, but it feels better to stick to the language, even if it's sometimes difficult to find an equivalent German word for an English term.

    – Morfildur
    yesterday











  • DO you mind sharing your native language with us? Certain languages use certain English Loan Words for different reasons.

    – hszmv
    yesterday











  • @hszmv Actually I do mind a bit, so I'll let you guess.

    – Liquid
    yesterday














10












10








10








In the modern world, english is a well-estabilished technical and scientific language. Some terms have become so commonly used that they are accepted in my native tongue (words like "computer", "PC", "network" being examples).



I'm currently writing a science fiction novel in my native language. I deal a lot with themes like networking, artificial intelligence, computing and so on in the novel.



So, when the time comes to create make up words for very specific technologies (let's say, nanomachines), it feels normal to use english-looking words (in the example, nano-mechs).



Considering the science fiction setting, is this acceptable or alienating?










share|improve this question














In the modern world, english is a well-estabilished technical and scientific language. Some terms have become so commonly used that they are accepted in my native tongue (words like "computer", "PC", "network" being examples).



I'm currently writing a science fiction novel in my native language. I deal a lot with themes like networking, artificial intelligence, computing and so on in the novel.



So, when the time comes to create make up words for very specific technologies (let's say, nanomachines), it feels normal to use english-looking words (in the example, nano-mechs).



Considering the science fiction setting, is this acceptable or alienating?







novel science-fiction translation language






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked yesterday









LiquidLiquid

8,81422074




8,81422074













  • How hard science fiction are you aiming for? What point of view is your story written from?

    – a CVn
    yesterday








  • 1





    @aCVn It's borderlining space opera. The PoV is a third person limited.

    – Liquid
    yesterday






  • 2





    I was in a similar position when I started writing my space opera in German. I decided to go with German terminology (Überlichtgeschwindigkeitsantrieb instead of faster than light drive and such), because, while the English terms are normal for me since I read pretty much only English books, the terms do have German equivalents which are usually preferred in "normal" conversation. Whether my decision was right or wrong I can't say, but it feels better to stick to the language, even if it's sometimes difficult to find an equivalent German word for an English term.

    – Morfildur
    yesterday











  • DO you mind sharing your native language with us? Certain languages use certain English Loan Words for different reasons.

    – hszmv
    yesterday











  • @hszmv Actually I do mind a bit, so I'll let you guess.

    – Liquid
    yesterday



















  • How hard science fiction are you aiming for? What point of view is your story written from?

    – a CVn
    yesterday








  • 1





    @aCVn It's borderlining space opera. The PoV is a third person limited.

    – Liquid
    yesterday






  • 2





    I was in a similar position when I started writing my space opera in German. I decided to go with German terminology (Überlichtgeschwindigkeitsantrieb instead of faster than light drive and such), because, while the English terms are normal for me since I read pretty much only English books, the terms do have German equivalents which are usually preferred in "normal" conversation. Whether my decision was right or wrong I can't say, but it feels better to stick to the language, even if it's sometimes difficult to find an equivalent German word for an English term.

    – Morfildur
    yesterday











  • DO you mind sharing your native language with us? Certain languages use certain English Loan Words for different reasons.

    – hszmv
    yesterday











  • @hszmv Actually I do mind a bit, so I'll let you guess.

    – Liquid
    yesterday

















How hard science fiction are you aiming for? What point of view is your story written from?

– a CVn
yesterday







How hard science fiction are you aiming for? What point of view is your story written from?

– a CVn
yesterday






1




1





@aCVn It's borderlining space opera. The PoV is a third person limited.

– Liquid
yesterday





@aCVn It's borderlining space opera. The PoV is a third person limited.

– Liquid
yesterday




2




2





I was in a similar position when I started writing my space opera in German. I decided to go with German terminology (Überlichtgeschwindigkeitsantrieb instead of faster than light drive and such), because, while the English terms are normal for me since I read pretty much only English books, the terms do have German equivalents which are usually preferred in "normal" conversation. Whether my decision was right or wrong I can't say, but it feels better to stick to the language, even if it's sometimes difficult to find an equivalent German word for an English term.

– Morfildur
yesterday





I was in a similar position when I started writing my space opera in German. I decided to go with German terminology (Überlichtgeschwindigkeitsantrieb instead of faster than light drive and such), because, while the English terms are normal for me since I read pretty much only English books, the terms do have German equivalents which are usually preferred in "normal" conversation. Whether my decision was right or wrong I can't say, but it feels better to stick to the language, even if it's sometimes difficult to find an equivalent German word for an English term.

– Morfildur
yesterday













DO you mind sharing your native language with us? Certain languages use certain English Loan Words for different reasons.

– hszmv
yesterday





DO you mind sharing your native language with us? Certain languages use certain English Loan Words for different reasons.

– hszmv
yesterday













@hszmv Actually I do mind a bit, so I'll let you guess.

– Liquid
yesterday





@hszmv Actually I do mind a bit, so I'll let you guess.

– Liquid
yesterday










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















8














I think it is important to write what your intended readers will easily understand. If you are a native speaker and inclined toward English-sounding words; they are probably inclined to understand that perfectly, so go ahead.



Otherwise, using your native language, you create a cognitive dissonance; namely how did YOUR language come to be the one used for such a technology, when everywhere in the world, English is the default language for technology, for academic papers, for engineering, etc.



Use what will probably be used; and if you don't, write a brief explanation for how some other language came to be used.






share|improve this answer
























  • English is not "the default language for technology everywhere in the world". Many languages have a technology- and engineering-related vocabulary that does not borrow from English much, even if (like the OP's language) they do use some English words.

    – KWeiss
    15 hours ago



















5














Seems totally fine to me. However, what really matters is your actual audience. This sounds like a case where maybe the best approach is to go ahead, write what seems best to you, without worrying too much about it--but then seek the responses of a sufficient number of representative beta readers. Even if you could very convincingly argue what the "right" approach is, what would it matter if the result sounded bad to the ears of your intended audience? (I remember this issue being discussed in the writing excuses podcast; if you search for "beta readers" you'll probably find several useful episodes.)






share|improve this answer








New contributor




sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




























    1














    Is your novel set in future?



    Generally speaking, yes. It is both reasonable and safe to assume that English will continue to serve as a primary language of scientific and engineering community. Thus, most new terms would be based on English.



    Even though this may turn out to be false, selecting a different language is a controversial decision. For example, you may supplant English by Mandarin Chinese, but that would make your novel to stand out. While it may be received well in China, international success would be harder to achieve.



    Supplanting English with your native language may also depend on how books are usually translated. It is easier if translators to your language have a tradition of replacing English terms with local equivalents, and harder if the tradition is to keep those terms verbatim.






    share|improve this answer
























    • I see your point. To clarify, it's a future so distant that "current" languages would be changed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

      – Liquid
      yesterday












    Your Answer








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    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes








    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    8














    I think it is important to write what your intended readers will easily understand. If you are a native speaker and inclined toward English-sounding words; they are probably inclined to understand that perfectly, so go ahead.



    Otherwise, using your native language, you create a cognitive dissonance; namely how did YOUR language come to be the one used for such a technology, when everywhere in the world, English is the default language for technology, for academic papers, for engineering, etc.



    Use what will probably be used; and if you don't, write a brief explanation for how some other language came to be used.






    share|improve this answer
























    • English is not "the default language for technology everywhere in the world". Many languages have a technology- and engineering-related vocabulary that does not borrow from English much, even if (like the OP's language) they do use some English words.

      – KWeiss
      15 hours ago
















    8














    I think it is important to write what your intended readers will easily understand. If you are a native speaker and inclined toward English-sounding words; they are probably inclined to understand that perfectly, so go ahead.



    Otherwise, using your native language, you create a cognitive dissonance; namely how did YOUR language come to be the one used for such a technology, when everywhere in the world, English is the default language for technology, for academic papers, for engineering, etc.



    Use what will probably be used; and if you don't, write a brief explanation for how some other language came to be used.






    share|improve this answer
























    • English is not "the default language for technology everywhere in the world". Many languages have a technology- and engineering-related vocabulary that does not borrow from English much, even if (like the OP's language) they do use some English words.

      – KWeiss
      15 hours ago














    8












    8








    8







    I think it is important to write what your intended readers will easily understand. If you are a native speaker and inclined toward English-sounding words; they are probably inclined to understand that perfectly, so go ahead.



    Otherwise, using your native language, you create a cognitive dissonance; namely how did YOUR language come to be the one used for such a technology, when everywhere in the world, English is the default language for technology, for academic papers, for engineering, etc.



    Use what will probably be used; and if you don't, write a brief explanation for how some other language came to be used.






    share|improve this answer













    I think it is important to write what your intended readers will easily understand. If you are a native speaker and inclined toward English-sounding words; they are probably inclined to understand that perfectly, so go ahead.



    Otherwise, using your native language, you create a cognitive dissonance; namely how did YOUR language come to be the one used for such a technology, when everywhere in the world, English is the default language for technology, for academic papers, for engineering, etc.



    Use what will probably be used; and if you don't, write a brief explanation for how some other language came to be used.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered yesterday









    AmadeusAmadeus

    59.4k677188




    59.4k677188













    • English is not "the default language for technology everywhere in the world". Many languages have a technology- and engineering-related vocabulary that does not borrow from English much, even if (like the OP's language) they do use some English words.

      – KWeiss
      15 hours ago



















    • English is not "the default language for technology everywhere in the world". Many languages have a technology- and engineering-related vocabulary that does not borrow from English much, even if (like the OP's language) they do use some English words.

      – KWeiss
      15 hours ago

















    English is not "the default language for technology everywhere in the world". Many languages have a technology- and engineering-related vocabulary that does not borrow from English much, even if (like the OP's language) they do use some English words.

    – KWeiss
    15 hours ago





    English is not "the default language for technology everywhere in the world". Many languages have a technology- and engineering-related vocabulary that does not borrow from English much, even if (like the OP's language) they do use some English words.

    – KWeiss
    15 hours ago











    5














    Seems totally fine to me. However, what really matters is your actual audience. This sounds like a case where maybe the best approach is to go ahead, write what seems best to you, without worrying too much about it--but then seek the responses of a sufficient number of representative beta readers. Even if you could very convincingly argue what the "right" approach is, what would it matter if the result sounded bad to the ears of your intended audience? (I remember this issue being discussed in the writing excuses podcast; if you search for "beta readers" you'll probably find several useful episodes.)






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.

























      5














      Seems totally fine to me. However, what really matters is your actual audience. This sounds like a case where maybe the best approach is to go ahead, write what seems best to you, without worrying too much about it--but then seek the responses of a sufficient number of representative beta readers. Even if you could very convincingly argue what the "right" approach is, what would it matter if the result sounded bad to the ears of your intended audience? (I remember this issue being discussed in the writing excuses podcast; if you search for "beta readers" you'll probably find several useful episodes.)






      share|improve this answer








      New contributor




      sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.























        5












        5








        5







        Seems totally fine to me. However, what really matters is your actual audience. This sounds like a case where maybe the best approach is to go ahead, write what seems best to you, without worrying too much about it--but then seek the responses of a sufficient number of representative beta readers. Even if you could very convincingly argue what the "right" approach is, what would it matter if the result sounded bad to the ears of your intended audience? (I remember this issue being discussed in the writing excuses podcast; if you search for "beta readers" you'll probably find several useful episodes.)






        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.










        Seems totally fine to me. However, what really matters is your actual audience. This sounds like a case where maybe the best approach is to go ahead, write what seems best to you, without worrying too much about it--but then seek the responses of a sufficient number of representative beta readers. Even if you could very convincingly argue what the "right" approach is, what would it matter if the result sounded bad to the ears of your intended audience? (I remember this issue being discussed in the writing excuses podcast; if you search for "beta readers" you'll probably find several useful episodes.)







        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer






        New contributor




        sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        answered yesterday









        sesquipedaliassesquipedalias

        1533




        1533




        New contributor




        sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.





        New contributor





        sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.






        sesquipedalias is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.























            1














            Is your novel set in future?



            Generally speaking, yes. It is both reasonable and safe to assume that English will continue to serve as a primary language of scientific and engineering community. Thus, most new terms would be based on English.



            Even though this may turn out to be false, selecting a different language is a controversial decision. For example, you may supplant English by Mandarin Chinese, but that would make your novel to stand out. While it may be received well in China, international success would be harder to achieve.



            Supplanting English with your native language may also depend on how books are usually translated. It is easier if translators to your language have a tradition of replacing English terms with local equivalents, and harder if the tradition is to keep those terms verbatim.






            share|improve this answer
























            • I see your point. To clarify, it's a future so distant that "current" languages would be changed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

              – Liquid
              yesterday
















            1














            Is your novel set in future?



            Generally speaking, yes. It is both reasonable and safe to assume that English will continue to serve as a primary language of scientific and engineering community. Thus, most new terms would be based on English.



            Even though this may turn out to be false, selecting a different language is a controversial decision. For example, you may supplant English by Mandarin Chinese, but that would make your novel to stand out. While it may be received well in China, international success would be harder to achieve.



            Supplanting English with your native language may also depend on how books are usually translated. It is easier if translators to your language have a tradition of replacing English terms with local equivalents, and harder if the tradition is to keep those terms verbatim.






            share|improve this answer
























            • I see your point. To clarify, it's a future so distant that "current" languages would be changed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

              – Liquid
              yesterday














            1












            1








            1







            Is your novel set in future?



            Generally speaking, yes. It is both reasonable and safe to assume that English will continue to serve as a primary language of scientific and engineering community. Thus, most new terms would be based on English.



            Even though this may turn out to be false, selecting a different language is a controversial decision. For example, you may supplant English by Mandarin Chinese, but that would make your novel to stand out. While it may be received well in China, international success would be harder to achieve.



            Supplanting English with your native language may also depend on how books are usually translated. It is easier if translators to your language have a tradition of replacing English terms with local equivalents, and harder if the tradition is to keep those terms verbatim.






            share|improve this answer













            Is your novel set in future?



            Generally speaking, yes. It is both reasonable and safe to assume that English will continue to serve as a primary language of scientific and engineering community. Thus, most new terms would be based on English.



            Even though this may turn out to be false, selecting a different language is a controversial decision. For example, you may supplant English by Mandarin Chinese, but that would make your novel to stand out. While it may be received well in China, international success would be harder to achieve.



            Supplanting English with your native language may also depend on how books are usually translated. It is easier if translators to your language have a tradition of replacing English terms with local equivalents, and harder if the tradition is to keep those terms verbatim.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered yesterday









            AlexanderAlexander

            3,700413




            3,700413













            • I see your point. To clarify, it's a future so distant that "current" languages would be changed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

              – Liquid
              yesterday



















            • I see your point. To clarify, it's a future so distant that "current" languages would be changed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

              – Liquid
              yesterday

















            I see your point. To clarify, it's a future so distant that "current" languages would be changed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

            – Liquid
            yesterday





            I see your point. To clarify, it's a future so distant that "current" languages would be changed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

            – Liquid
            yesterday


















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