Fictional Language
by ElizaMayTyto

Knowing when and how to use a fictional language, whether it be a logical Vulcan exchange or an elegant Sindarin parting, can be difficult. This is especially true when your fluency in the language is nonexistent, but your love for the culture surrounding it is boundless. I am also one of those poor lost souls, but let me tell you a secret. You can find anything on the internet. Yes, as ludicrous as it seems, there are other nerds out there that are more than ecstatic to teach you the art of fictional linguistics. The trick is to find them, and verify that they understand what they are talking about. Yet once that has been successfully accomplished, the writer is faced with the task of implementing their new-found knowledge in a way that is both canon and plot sensitive.

Impossible as it may seem, if you follow these guidelines, you should be able to effortlessly assimilate whatever language you require into your story, greatly enriching the culture you are trying to convey in your fanfic.

Finding a Reliable Source

This may become a long and tedious search depending on how obscure your desired language is, but there are some shortcuts you can use to cut down on the search time.
My first word of advice is to stay away from translators. You know you have found one of these sketchy sites when there is a box where you can type in a phrase, and a button that says translate. Stay away from these at all costs.

In my experience, translators prove a quick and easy escape rout that leads only to jumbled, nonsense phrases with a smattering of English thrown in for good measure. I found this out the hard way while co-writing a LotR fanfiction with a couple of friends. I used an elvish translator for that fanfiction, and it was only after it was finished, and I went back to read it again that I realized how many mistakes there were within my elvish. (Example: "I hope to see you again someday" became "Im estel im see cin ad- somedaui")
Using a translator is like buying that one-dollar plastic gadget from the mall that has 'Made in China' etched on the bottom. It was a low price for a low value product. You spent nothing, so you got nothing. Basically, when you are trying to use a fictional language, you want it to sound as real as possible. To do that, there is going to have to be some research on your part, and that is the bottom line.

Now, not all translators are going to be terrible, but they should be used with caution. Besides, the real way to learn any language, not just the fictional ones, is to practice using it. Using a translator robs you of this knowledge, and if you love your fandom enough to be writing a fanfic about it in a made-up language, you probably want to learn said language anyway.

After the LotR fanfic disaster, I promised myself that the next fanfiction I would write would use elvish in a comprehensive, fluid, and correct manner. So, when I started my Silmarillion fanfiction, To Follow the Stars, I set out to do just that.
One of the first things I stumbled across was a website that listed useful elvish phrases. For me, this was an unexpected goldmine, a quick cheat sheet of everything from simple greetings to amusing insults (my favorite one being 'Go French-kiss an orc').

Better yet, I was certain the creator of this site knew exactly what they were doing since they stated things like, "These phrases are in the style of the Noldor" and "The asterisks mark reconstructed or not-attested words", which are all signs that the author has done their research.
This was extraordinarily valuable when I wanted characters to greet one another in their native tongue, but it proved unhelpful for complex, day to day conversations. For that, I needed a dictionary.
The dictionary was surprisingly easy to find, all I had to type was 'elvish dictionary', and in moments I had found a website that surpassed my wildest dreams. Parf Edhellen, a database dedicated to Tolkien's languages.

Ultimately, this is the type of resource you want to find. All you must do is type in the word you are searching for, and voila! You can then string them together in a sentence. Now, this should be done with careful consideration of that language's grammatical structure, but if the dictionary is of a high caliber, all of that can be found within that one website. If it is not, I recommend a quick internet search for another website or even a trip to YouTube for that information.

If the internet fails you, or you get tired of scrolling through those endless webpages, try an actual book. Yes, as crazy at it seems, people have published actual guides on how to speak and write your favorite fictional languages. These are probably the most accurate sources you can get, and if an online dictionary sites one such publication, you are golden.
Now, just remember, if you do not speak the language, it is probably not going to be perfect. But don't worry about it; your reader most likely does not understand Klingon either. In the end, using a fictional language in your writing is all about enhancing the culture that surrounds your characters, making the story seem more real.

Using the Language in Your Writing

Once a reliable source has been found, the challenge changes to knowing when and how to use it in your writing. Fortunately, there are two rules to follow that will make this process surprisingly simple.

The first rule can be summed up in one word, and that word is dialogue. Never use the language outside of dialogue. Attempting to write a description in a fictional language is a recipe for disaster. Your reader will not understand what you are trying to convey, and it will make your writing seem choppy.
Now, this does not mean that every time your character opens their mouth they should be spewing complicated gobbledygook. The usage of your fictional language should bring to life an otherwise non-existent culture in a way that does not annoy the reader with long phrases they do not understand, so use it sparingly.

This leads us to rule number two: Always provide a translation. The point of using a fictional language in writing is to convey deeper meaning, but this becomes impossible when the reader cannot understand the language. Every time a character speaks in the fictional language, follow the dialogue with the English phrase in italics. Take this sample dialogue from my Silmarillion fanfic for example.
"'Ávatyara ni, nettë, anyë lá amba polin tuvalassë issenyë nëa á.' He murmured. Forgive me, sister, for I no longer can find joy where I once did."

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules. For rule number one, the only time where it would be acceptable to use your fictional language of choice outside of dialogue would be for poetry or letters written by a character. If you do decide to write something like this in a fictional language, just remember you must provide a translation, which will effectively double the length of that portion of text. If you do partake in this exception, it is best to keep your text short for this reason.
The exception for rule number two only stands if the text consists of one word. This pretty much limits this to one-word greetings, which sometimes do not translate well, and familial names, such as the fictional word for mother and father. These small things are easy enough for a reader to understand on their own and providing a translation would disrupt the flow of the narrative.

Using the Right Language

Most of the time this is just common sense. Your OC attending the very British/UK school of Hogwarts should not be speaking French (unless they are a visitor from Beauxbatons, of course). While this seems simple enough, things can get complicated quickly when you discover that your language can be broken down into different dialects, or even worse, realize that there is not one elvish language, but two. It is time to go back to research.
This time, however, it is not the language you will be researching, but your character. Where your character was born, who your character was raised by, and what culture they identify with are all important factors to take into consideration.

The Fandom Wiki is a wonderful place to start. Find the right fandom, search your character's name, and all of a sudden you have a ton of information at your fingertips. If your character is an OC, make sure you read up on all the information about their culture that you can.
While the Fandom Wiki is a great place to start, there may be sites that go more in depth to the nitty gritty of the fandom. I recommend you find these, for they will be less trafficked by the random wiki user and is often times incredibly accurate thanks to the passion of those monitoring the site. For my Silmarillion fanfic I discovered the Tolkien Gateway, which cites many professional essays and Tolkien's own work, giving me peace of mind when I use their information.

Links

Alright, for all of you writers who are drooling with anticipation to get started, or maybe dreading all this research, here are the links to all the helpful websites I have mentioned above.

Useful Elvish Phrases: http://www.arwen-undomiel.com/elvish/phrases.html
The Elvish Dictionary: https://www.elfdict.com/
Fandom Wiki: http://community-sitcom.wikia.com/wiki/Community_Wiki
The Tolkien Gateway: http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Main_Page

Why is all of this important, you may ask? The whole point of using a fictional language in your fanfiction is to boost the authenticity of your work, making it vital that your characters are using the right language. Without the correct language, your readers will doubt that you are truly acquainted with the original work.
With that in mind, good luck, and happy writing! Namárië!

Have you ever used a fictional language in your stories?