Timeline for How can I explain English existing in a fantasy world?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
13 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 2017 at 17:08 | comment | added | Ryan | The Multiverse theory implies that if the fantasy world could exist (and in the story, it can) than there would be infinite versions of it that speak English. If Our world and this fantasy world are connected somehow, then its all the more likely that the languages are too. | |
| Jan 26, 2017 at 0:30 | comment | added | The Nate | Visions of an English speaking place, say, or some guiding force that causes developments to map the languages together could serve, too. You'd need to pick why they bothered adopting English in the first case and why the directing force wanted common tongues in the second. ("wanted" is more personification than it has to be) | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 20:04 | comment | added | David Starkey | The coincidence option could make for entertaining bits. Imagine if this fantasy universe thinks the word "apple" is some kind of vulgar term, or vice versa. Maybe "shoe" means "underwear" and people look at you weird when saying you need to tie your shoes. | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 14:28 | comment | added | chepner | @Shufflepants That explains how the book you are reading depicts everyone speaking English, not how the hero from our world would end up speaking the same language (English or otherwise) as the inhabitants of the fantasy world. | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 13:55 | comment | added | Chris | @Shufflepants: Unless Common is the same language as english that doesn't really help. It just raises the opposite question of how somebody from our world would speak "Common". | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 5:29 | comment | added | DivideByZero | See Babel Fish (relevant to #2) | |
| Jan 19, 2017 at 22:28 | comment | added | Mike Clark | Or Star Wars: "Galactic Basic" | |
| Jan 19, 2017 at 21:59 | comment | added | Shufflepants | Or just do what D&D does and call it "Common" or "Common Tongue" instead of english. | |
| Jan 19, 2017 at 21:39 | vote | accept | Austin Arminio | ||
| Jan 19, 2017 at 21:32 | vote | accept | Austin Arminio | ||
| Jan 19, 2017 at 21:32 | |||||
| Jan 19, 2017 at 21:31 | vote | accept | Austin Arminio | ||
| Jan 19, 2017 at 21:32 | |||||
| Jan 19, 2017 at 21:10 | history | edited | Garrett Gaddy | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
changed "him" to "her" due to the fact the asker's character is female
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| Jan 19, 2017 at 20:50 | history | answered | Garrett Gaddy | CC BY-SA 3.0 |