The idea that another language gives us a second soul comes from Charlemagne. As a polyglot and ruler of a multilingual territory, he understood what other languages meant to individuals and to societies. Tolstoy understood it too. In War and Peace, his aristocrats spoke French – unless one of them wanted to “curse like a soldier in his vilest Russian”. Having the same character use French in the salon and Russian on the front line gives depth to the individual and intensity to the scenes. If you would like to imbue your book with a second soul, here are some ways to weave in additional languages:
Research reality
Depending on your novel’s setting, using multiple languages may be historically accurate. Start by finding out which languages were used, by who, and for what. Remember that this may vary for characters from different backgrounds, and may evolve as the story moves on. For example, Tolstoy showed the changing course of Napoleon’s campaign through language; Russian aristocrats knew they were losing when it was no longer safe to speak French in the streets.
Give translations
Once you know which additional language(s) to incorporate, think about how you will help your reader follow the departures from the main language. Giving translations works well if you are only including a few short phrases in an additional language, and if it is important for the reader to understand them exactly. You can give translations either inside or outside the narrative. An example of the former would be having one of your characters ask another what something means and receiving a translation. This works well if the characters do not share a common background and are motivated by something in the plot or in their nature to understand one another. The latter can be done in notes. Numbered footnotes at the end of the page are less disruptive to the reader than endnotes that require them to flick to the back of the book. However, it’s worth noting that footnotes aren’t standard in fiction, and some readers may find them off-putting – so think carefully about their inclusion and consider whether there are more creative ways to incorporate translations without breaking your reader’s immersion in the story.
Use italics
Readers appreciate clear signals, such as the use of italics, when an additional language is brought in. This may require more creative formatting if more than two languages are used.
Choose cognates
If the main and additional languages are related, it may be possible to use cognates – words that look recognisably similar – to guide the reader to the meaning. Widely known phrases from popular culture can also support this. For example, readers of English can understand a Spanish-speaking character who talks about británicos locos, because one of these words is similar to English and the other is widely known even beyond the Spanish-speaking world.
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Let the reader learn alongside the character
Consider how fluent your characters themselves are in the additional language and map out whether this evolves throughout the story. If a character is learning, then the reader can learn along with them. Introduce words and phrases gradually, supported by descriptions or context, then trust the reader to remember them. In my first novel, the Scottish main character begins learning Spanish words one meal at a time, from the dishes fed to her while she is held captive. Later in the story, I bring the same words back in again when she escapes and makes her way by trading in markets. Even if all the reader remembers is that they refer to different foods, then that’s enough for them to navigate the Spanish in the story.
Rely on replies
Show the reader what dialogue in an additional language means through how other characters reply and respond to it, though this technique may become laborious for both you and your reader if it is overused.
Open some doors, and close others
Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell began his career with Cardinal Wolsey because he spoke Italian, and R. F. Kuang’s Babblers are allowed to inhabit privileged echelons of academia because they are bilingual. By the same token, characters who lack a language may be excluded from conversations, settings, or opportunities. Letters that cannot be read or arguments that cannot be eavesdropped are, in themselves, useful plot devices, and you can exploit them even further by showing how your characters feel about the linguistic obstacles they face and how they respond to them. Characters who are resilient, quick-witted or utterly desperate will react differently to those who are defeated or dependent.
Plan for all formats
If an audiobook is on the cards, consider how the narrator would perform additional languages, and choose techniques that suit both text and audio. If you intend to have your book translated, anticipate how the translator will represent additional languages within it.
If you wish you could give your characters a second soul but do not share a language with them, all is not lost. If you write historical fantasy or in a speculative genre, give yourself the luxury and the challenge of inventing languages, in the time-honoured tradition of J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. If you want to include fragments of real languages which you do not speak, translation software and AI tools are useful starting points, though it is wise to consult a speaker of the language to check that digital outputs are accurate and convey the sense you intended. If a character always speaks in a language which you – and your reader – do not share, trying to include it in the text may become burdensome. Instead, think about writing their dialogue in the same language as the rest of the text and occasionally reminding the reader that it is really another language. Setting this up when the character is introduced and then occasionally showing the reader how their accent sounds, how their language flows, or the effect their speech has on other characters may be more readable – and more writable – than long stretches of an unknown language.
Including characters’ languages is a powerful way of representing their worldview, showing their society and status, and giving them a unique voice. Your readers will thank you for sensitively building the scaffolding they need to hear that voice.
Sarah Conway is a guest contributor to The History Quill. She studied History at the University of Edinburgh and Applied Linguistics at the University of Nottingham, and works in educational publishing. Originally from Scotland, she has called Mexico home since 2007. She is writing the last draft of her first historical fiction novel – set in newly-independent Mexico, about finding love and belonging a very long way from home. She posts about reading, writing, and her very spoiled former street dog on Instagram @sarahmgconway.
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