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Well, probably. But hey, my writing skillz are wanting northern kitchen-sink drama lately and I couldn't work up to a proper fic about it. Here are some drabbles, though. They're light and a bit *meh*, but at least I've written something other than a shopping list for once.
Also, whilst I do so love being pretentious, I've provided translations of Occitan words used below, though the meanings don't add all that much to the drabbles, save the last one.
The old man was particularly loud in his complaints tonight. Louis listened from the parlour as he raved beseechingly at his son. ‘
Lestat, gruff as ever, spoke tersely. ‘Me fotes, papa! Bona neuch!’
Louis sighed. Guttural French, too thick and unintelligble for him to catch. Common farm boy, speaking like that to his father. Who was he, to withhold everything? Why was Louis in thrall to such an unknowable monster?
Lestat entered the room, sitting down to play with his cards. 'What is it?' he snapped crossly, catching Louis' eye.
'Nothing,' said Louis, 'absolutely nothing.'
***
Puzzle
They were in
‘What is it?’ Armand was at his side, concerned.
‘They were speaking… did you catch the dialect?’
‘Langue d’Oc,’ said Armand. He paused. ‘Lestat spoke a form of it sometimes. Auvergnat. It’s a language, not a dialect.’
‘He was from the
‘Yes, but so what?’
‘I just wonder… why was I…? The pieces of the puzzle were there all along.’
‘He’s gone,’ said Armand quietly. ‘There’s no need for puzzles, now.’
‘Yes’
‘You have me.’
‘Yes.’
***
Understanding
Louis nuzzled against Lestat, settling his head into the crook of his maker’s neck. ‘Meu estela’, he murmured.
‘Don’t you speak that dirty language to me.’
‘Why not?’
‘Why should you? Are you winding me up?’
‘It’s your language.’ He looked up, ‘aren’t you glad I’m interested in it, farm boy?’
Lestat snorted. ‘We were fine feudal lords, who ate with our hands while your lot were prancing about in powdered wigs.’
‘How dreadfully rude. What’s wrong with a fork?’
‘Bourgeois pig.’
He kissed Lestat. ‘T’aimi.’
Lestat caressed him absentmindedly. He was glad that Louis could not see his smile.
******
Cal que vos diga - I must tell you
Me fotes - You're getting on my nerves
Bona nuèch - Good night
Meu estela - my star (I know, I know, but it was hard to find good terms to use.)
T'aimi - I love you
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Date: 2008-01-13 12:35 am (UTC)These were amazing and so IC. God.
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Date: 2008-01-13 12:43 am (UTC)Thanks for reading. :D
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Date: 2008-01-13 12:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-13 10:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-13 12:44 am (UTC)It's such a treat to find a VC bit.
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Date: 2008-01-13 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-13 02:28 am (UTC)spread it like wildfire! :)
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Date: 2008-01-13 10:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-13 03:50 am (UTC)Ah, how wonderful of you! I've got a book called The People of the Auvergne, a facsimile book of one published in the last half of the 19th century (I don't have it at hand and I don't recall the date) where the languages/dialects are discussed but there are only a few examples given. I am so pleased to read these lovely little drabbles--and they are so spot on. *LOVES*
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Date: 2008-01-13 10:12 am (UTC)The book sounds really interesting! Where did you get hold of it?
I didn't realise until reading up on the language how much closer it is to Catalan than French. I like that I can follow a lot of it (reading, anyway... it's really hard to follow when spoken because of the harshness of the accent), but French will always be my first love. ;)
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Date: 2008-01-13 02:10 pm (UTC)www.elibron.com
This is the first paragrapgh of the preface in all it's flowery (and somewhat condescending) glory:
This book is about an undiscovered country. I find that many English people scarcely realize the difference between Auvergne and Brittany; only the other day a friend of mine asked me when my "new Breton book would be out!" So it is surely quite time some one took in hand the task of opening up this romantic and beautiful land, le Centre, as the French call it, the Heart of France, whence flow most of the fertilising rivers on which the prosperity of the country depends.
The book has reproductions of the original plates, both color and black and white, as well as being printed in the font obviously used in the original edition, so it's interesting from that point of view, too.
Miss Gostling travelled about the area speaking to people and collecting local legends--and while the writing is somewhat distracting (flowery & condescending as noted) there is a lot of information in the book. It's annoying how she speaks about the people there, more like they are quaint objects of curiosity than actual people, but then, I expect that was only the time she was brought up in. It's worth a read, though.
I received the volume as a gift from a woman who likes my fics: she and I have written exhaustive emails back and forth regarding Lestat and his familial line--she's a librarian and has some pretty good theories :)
When I read the lines I thought they looked sort of Italian (though I know very little of the language) but I'll take your word for the Catalan connection. That made me happy because that connects to my love of Patrick O'brien's work--nothing makes me happier than connections like that, as tenuous and odd as they may be :)
You can find the book on Amazon, too.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1402153155/ref=nosim/librarythin08-20
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Date: 2008-01-13 02:31 pm (UTC)Well, I can't blame you on thinking it like Italian. Catalan itself does bear a lot of resemblance to Italian, anyway. I find it comes across like a Spanish-Italian-French hybrid, though say that to a Catalan speaker and expect lots of stabbiness and exclamations of 'caga'. For example, their word for window is finestra, as in Italian, compared to Occitan's 'fenestra'. It's really interesting.
You've peaked my curiosity on the family line thing, now!
(Also, have you read O'Brien's The Catalans? My flatmate and I were considering reading it after seeing it in a store here...)
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Date: 2008-01-13 04:30 pm (UTC)I have not read O'Brian's The Catalans though it's on my list--I've read all the Aubrey-Maturin tales, though, and as Dr. Maturin is Irish/Catalan, there is quite a bit abut the culture, geography and languge discussed in the stories since O'Brian is nothing, if not thorough in his ability to be descriptive, informative and interesting all at the same time!
As far as the family line, our theory followed the Valois line; since Lestat took that as his stage name we figured there might have been a concrete reason for that. There is a lot of information to be had in the book Lines of Succession - Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe (Tables by Jiri Louda, Text by Michael MacLagan - ISBN 9 781840 125039 ).
I can email you the notes she worked out if you are interested--it's always nice to know I am not the only one who likes to drown in minutiae. I only wish I was better at organizing the swirl of ideas I have regarding history like that as it might affect the VC-verse that I love so well--organizing and then, of course, disciplining myself to make better use of free time!
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Date: 2008-01-13 04:34 pm (UTC)I'd be thrilled if you e-mailed me the notes. It makes me all geeky and happy, seriously. :D
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Date: 2008-01-13 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-14 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-13 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-13 10:13 am (UTC)I've been feeling nostalgic for fic of late...
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Date: 2008-01-13 12:10 pm (UTC)T'aimi.
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Date: 2008-01-13 01:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-14 06:18 pm (UTC)I find it so interesting to think of the social consequences of Lestat speaking a different language or dialect. I'm interested in where the line between dialect and language is drawn - you probably know of the bickering over what exactly Ulster-Scots (or Scots-Irish, as our American friends call it) is. And a woman from Mum's church has just given me a little book listing words and meanings from a dialect of a particular part of Armagh. It's at Rem's and the name of the dialect (and thus, the book) eludes me right now, but it was interesting to see words that we use commonly (and my family's from Belfast/South Antrim and living in North Down).
I forget if I've told you this, but Rem grew up speaking in a dialect rather than in Dutch until he was about six - Gronings, the dialect of the province of Groningen. Even within his immediate family, different versions of the dialect were spoken, because his mum is from outside the area where he grew up.