My native tongue is niether english or german so playing warhammer has always made me wonder on how the language works for the characters in game. I reckon that Reikspiel is the same as German.

When I read supplements I see a mix of both German and English. Stromdorf (village) The Stewpot (Tavern), Drakwald (geography) The Great Forest (geography). Personal names are always in german as long as they are from the empire, but beastmen and goblins are called Foaldeath or Madtooth and stuff like that.

How would those things come across for the PC's? Are they mixing two langages too? Maybe they call the great forest Der Grosse Wald ?

What's your take on this subject?

I've gone with the "German for important places, native language for non-important"-style. I'm not sure whether it was in Hobbit or LotR but the forewords discussed this in some detail. At least in Finnish edition.

I would say that German-like proper names and language are the "real" words being spoken, but understand that since my players and myself speak English, we are often using English equivalents in their place.

Hopefully you can follow what I'm trying to say:

So when I say a creature is named, "Foaldeath", this is just a place holder for "Fohlentod" or something similar since we don't actually speak Reikspeil. The characters themsevles, when hearing the creauture announce his name are hearing, "Fohlentod" which they know means Foul + Death since they actually speak the language. So, to my players it might be best to say "Foaldeath" so they actually understand the name just like their characters do. The characters don't hear it as jibberish, so the players shouldn't either.

However, I have no problem and completely understand that many proper names are in "Reikspeil" for the immersion factor. I think most fantasy RPG players will understand that "dorf" of Stromdorf means village. Google translate tells me Storm means Power*, not Storm like I thought. But, it would sound pretty funny to tell may players they have arrived at the settlement of.......Powerville!!!!!.

*I found an alternate translation for Strom to be Torrent, which was probably the intention. Torrentville or Stormville still sounds pretty funny.

I just go with calling places by their little faux-germanic names. Because you are essentially moving through I-Can't-Beleive-It's-Not-The-Holy-Roman-Empire.

The reason english gets used is, you've got to have some sort of dividing line, something to say that the villager's are all well, pleasently...regional. I imagine German peasents would be too efficient to properly use a different manner of speech then nobles.

Cockneys, on the other hand...

Weeeell, tha's a diff'ren' jack-a-noreeee, innit' guv'ner?

There was this BBC comedy called 'Allo 'Allo set in France during WWII. To differentiate the languages spoken on the show the characters spoke English with the most outrageously stereotypical accents of their nationality. This is how Warhammer languages work in my head.

Sturn said:

The name Stromdorf makes perfect sense, since Strom also means broad river in German. So this derives from the two rivers that meet in Stromdorf. The other meaning of Strom, power, electricity, makes a rather smart joke, if you think at all the lightning that happens in Stromdorf.

By the way: Fohlentod doesn't mean foul + death (that would be Faultod) but Foaldeath.

Alfonzo said:

Hahah, that's brilliant! René from ze café!