Archaic language in fantasy

[Jabrosky]

There was once a time when people of African descent were known as Negroes. Nowadays this term is considered offensively archaic and inappropriate for contemporary discourse, but I don't think most people would complain if an author of historical fiction used it. What if a fantasy writer were to use the term "Negro" or something like it for the characters in their own world? Given that most fantasy settings resemble historical ones, it wouldn't seem out of place to refer to African-like characters as Negroes. On the other hand, in a fantasy world there wouldn't really be a compulsion on the author's part to use "historically accurate" terminology.

Do you think "outdated" words like "Negro" could have their place in fantasy?

 

[kayd_mon]

No, unless you're hoping that the ensuing controversy will be the one thing that will gain you readers. Outside of historical context, doing something like that will upset some people, and then some others won't care. It certainly won't gain you anything.

 

[Mythopoet]

Personally, I've never seen what the big offense of the word "Negro" is since we still use the term "Black" and "Negro" literally means "black".

But if I were you I wouldn't try it. People do, in fact, complain when any one uses it ever and it doesn't matter if you're writing historical fiction or if you were an actual author living during a time when the term was generally accepted. It's just considered wrong now in every context no matter what.

 

[Jabrosky]

No, unless you're hoping that the ensuing controversy will be the one thing that will gain you readers. Outside of historical context, doing something like that will upset some people, and then some others won't care. It certainly won't gain you anything.

Good point you have there. Truth be told, using such language outside of historical fiction would be pointless and counter-productive as you said.

(Time to make a confession: I like to get a rise out of people sometimes. Major character flaw with me.)

 

[Scribble]

It is too much of a touchy word in our current time. Unless you are writing a specific historical piece where you want to capture how people spoke, sensitive to racial categorization, then I would avoid it. There are archaic terms for most peoples of the world which we choose not to use today for reasons that are mostly good.

It is fantasy, you can call the people by any name you like. You can use basic hue descriptions to identify groups - once you convey to the reader that the Zirembi, Ureki, and Domani peoples are respectively, dark-skinned, copper-skinned, or olive-skinned, they will get the idea. Of course you can flavor the name to evoke the real-earth basis for the people, ex: Nords for nordic people with pale skin and blue eyes.

 

[Steerpike]

Even in historical works, you'll sometimes find people coming out strongly against certain words (whether they understand the usage or not is another story).

For example, a republication of Conrad's "The N i g g e r of the Narcissus" in Europe came out with the title changed to "The N-Word of the Narcissus." It's a silly title, and I'm not sure why they didn't just go with the original American title if they wanted to change it (oddly enough, American publishers initially didn't want to publish it under the original title, not because they were offended by it but because they thought no one in 1897 or so would want to read a book about a black man).

The point being, even if you are writing a historical novel you can run into some problems, and the further into this territory you go the greater the potential problem. But that's not a reason not to do it.

 

[Scribble]

(Time to make a confession: I like to get a rise out of people sometimes. Major character flaw with me.)

I do too, but you've got to pick your battles. Oddly, the novel seems at different times to be both the best and worst medium for doing that! It is strange, if you use "Negro" you are saying something, and if you don't say Negro, you are also saying something, a whole bunch of somethings. Strange days.