Dictionary Blues

[Naria]

Dear Koji and localization team,

I love the effort that you have all put in making the people of Eorzea come alive. With all of the slang and dialects you use it truly feels like a different society, not just modern day with a few "Alas!" or stock fantasy phrases painted on top.

That said, this is the only video game I've ever played that makes me wish my complete 20-volume copy of the Oxford English Dictionary was not currently on the other side of the Pacific.

[Wolfandre]

The FF series has always been one of my favorites because of how much it makes me think and learn on my own accord and figure stuff out via context. Failing that, a good google search always got me the right answer.

That said, I had to do some deep digging to figure out what 'cove' and 'darkmans' and 'cloy' meant in these contexts. Good on you, localization team.

[gornotck]

That's surprising, as the Rogue's Speak is almost directly the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' Thieves' Cant.
http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/cant.htm

[Wolfandre]

I, erm, never played AD&D.... orz

Thanks for the link, though!

(3.5 4lyfe)

[gornotck]

https://archive.org/details/newdictionaryoft00begeuoft
This is also an interesting source of... something.

[Fernehalwes]

Ah, Oxford. A FFXIV localizer's best friend.

Or in case of the apocalypse, a handy shelter to protect you and a family of seventeen from harmful fallout.



I'm also glad you are enjoying the thieves' rogues' cant used in-game by the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss. For any who are interested, we got some help from various sources, including the "1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" by Francis Grose (which is public domain, so places like the Gutenberg Project have it available for free download).

[Naria]

For any who are interested, we got some help from various sources, including the "1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" by Francis Grose (which is public domain, so places like the Gutenberg Project have it available for free download).

I actually did download this after about the twelfth time google sent me to it. Glad to know I was on the right track!

Owning the Oxford was actually on my bucket list, because I'm a nerd so I might be a little too fond of it.