I need a medieval translater for a comic

[Archamedes]

Hey all,

I am thinking of making a medieval fantasy style comic with dragons, orcs and a general medieval type theme. however I wondered if anyone knows of an iphone app or pc program that will turn a sentence from modern English into medieval lingo. I know you have things like google translate, so I was interested to see if there was anything like that but for medieval speak. I struggle with some of the words and phrases used in that period & there's only so much lord of the rings and game of thrones i can watch before I end up saying things like "One simply does not walk into moordor" or "I am a Lannister, I demand whores."

[Marionette]

I remember seeing one or two books of old slang at Project Gutenberg. They were full of lovely phrases which, while being nowhere near middle English (which would be technically accurate), have an archaic feel to them.

You should also probably have a read of The Canterbury Tales.

Bearing in mind that knights and kings of the period were probably speaking French.

[felneymike]

Old British comics used to have characters of that time (usually Robin Hood) speaking with a sort of mangled biblical / Shakespearean slang. It's probably far removed from how people actually talked, but "sounds right".

Things like "This night" instead of "Tonight", and plenty of "Ere another sun has set". Oh and "X not" instead of "Do not X"

[Marionette]

well I guess if cod-Shakespeare is good enough for a Norse thunder god...

Just make sure you understand the meanings correctly. I've read several Thor comics where the writer appeared to be under the impression that "anon" meant "immediately", which led to unintended amusement.

[stevezodiac]

Never watched it but did the tv series Cadfael use the old tongue or would it have been impossible for ITV viewers to follow? Perhaps the Cadfael novels could help? Must go - I need to knock out a couple of madrigals on my sackbut.

[dishes]

Certes t'were unmeet, to usen devices of this sorte, when swych be famed for hir clowneries divers. They should feftoon thy manuscripte most wretchedly with lewed erreurs and make a gallimaufry of't. Rather I rede thee to fooner confulte the most puissant clerkes of thy citie.

[dishes]

well I guess if cod-Shakespeare is good enough for a Norse thunder god...

Just make sure you understand the meanings correctly. I've read several Thor comics where the writer appeared to be under the impression that "anon" meant "immediately", which led to unintended amusement.

"Anon" did mean "immediately".

[Marionette]

"Anon" did mean "immediately".

True, but it doesn't any more. And coming from writers who get "thee" and "thou" mixed up, I remain unconvinced their problem was being too accurate for me.

[felneymike]

Not as bad as one weird horror comic I bought once, where the characters encountered zombie pirates who were using "thee" for "the"!

[Archamedes]

I think to be more clear, I guess you could say I am more after a middle English style translator. Any true medieval talk could be very difficult to get across in comic form without most readers scratching their head and saying "Just what the hell is he going on about? Oh he wanted him to pass the corn... oh i see, now."