: Re: How to handle a pidgin language? Question: In reference to this question about how to show a foreign language in a manuscript, I am wondering: What is the best way to handle a pidgin language

@Alves689

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I was taught to handle foreign languages (and this would include pidgins) as grace notes in the prose and dialog: there's enough there to remind the reader that characters are speaking a language other than English, but not so much to hinder the reader's progress. So once you've made it clear that the characters are speaking the pidgin, most of the dialog would actually be in English but with important pidgin words thrown in. By important pidgin words I mean an untranslatable term, a word characteristic of the culture (and perhaps ironically contradicting the inevitable prejudices against them), or a word of pride. Including the lattie on water story is an ideal grace note because it not only reminds the reader of the pidgin but it's an interesting story: I'll come away feeling like I've learned something good about a culture I never otherwise would have learned. This sounds like a fun story to write and a great novel to read. Good luck with it.

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