When writing a book that is based in historical times, which is more apporarite: using 'you' or 'ye'???

Question

When writing a book that is based in historical times, which is more apporaite: using 'you' or 'ye', 'thou', 'thee', 'dost', etc???
I've read books that goes both ways (fiction books of this time based in the past).
Some say 'you', others 'ye'. I'm just wondering which is more correct, from a present-day literary point-of-view???

Answer 1

The "correct" way is whatever is most true to the story. The best thing to do is read literature of the time period and emulate the sentence structure as best you can. For example, when I was writing the Novella September, I needed to emulate the more formalized style of the 1920's. People spoke different then, and in order to make the story authentic I needed to emulate those speech patterns. It would have been completely unbelievable if characters were saying things like "Yo, homie! You goin' ta the dig site?"

By the same token, you also need to be readable. So it is better to use modern spellings of words instead of the common spellings of the time. Remember, people spelled that way not because they talked that way, but because people didn't always know how to read! let alone spell. Pay more attention to the sentence structure and speech patterns, but use modern spelling.

Also, don't use foreign phrases. Nothing annoys me more than someone who feels the need to drop foreign words into their text. If your story is set in France, we assume that even though we are reading the story in English, the characters are speaking French. I don't need you to "drop" a foreign phrase to remind me of that. With the exception of some hispanic teenagers I know, people do not automatically shift between languages mid-sentence. The result in your book is an unnatural speech pattern. It makes me cringe when I read three pages of text in English and then see "merci". Damnit, just type "Thank You." the effect storywise is the same!

The only exception would be in instances when the foreign word is important. For example, in Spanish it is common to use the word "Don" in front of the name of a respected man.

Answer 2

Confine the ye's, thou's and thee's to dialogue only and have just a few characters who use them. Take a good look at the movie "Angel & the Badman" and another at "Friendly Persuasion." Both films featured Quaker characters and the use of the antiquated speech was done well.

Keep in mind that both readers and editors are quickly bored with the use of dialect. It is better to use speech patterns rather than dialect to make your point. For instance:

"Garn! You don't have to say that, governor." (Cockney character)

"Sit up properly. I want your feet on the floor and your shoulders back. Get rid of that gum, girl." (teacher/governess)

Answer 3

Since it's fiction, it's what the author feels would work best. Personally, I'd rather leave the 'ye's, and 'thou's to Shakespeare. I find it to confusing and slightly cheesy. So I would go with today's language, and possibly throw in a few 'thou's if someone is speaking, but it would be a rare occurrence.

Answer 4

You have to think about your audience. Since you're writing the book for people living today, you have to write it so they can understand it. As others have suggested, maybe a few of the words would work, only in dialogue. It's hard to find that balance of authenticity and understanding.
Even Shakespeare wrote with his audience in mind. "Julius Caesar" is written so the crowds watching the play can understand it, but when Caesar asks, "You too, Brutus?" Shakespeare chooses to write it in Latin, making it more authentic. I think that shows a good balance of authenticity and understanding.

Good luck.

Answer 5

If you have hold of a strong style that begs for the words to be used in narrative text and you're very comfortable with the idea, go ahead.

If you have a strong style that begs for the words to be used but you're not sure about in narrative text but you're comfortable with the words, use them in speech.

If you're not sure of your style but like the words well enough, use them to distinguish characters. For example, if you have any upper-class characters, show them through the fancier words and leave the not-as-fancy words to those not as high up the ladder.

Answer 6

My suggestion, which offers a balanced approached, it to use the "ye" "thou", etc. only in dialogue. It reminds the reader of the time period without making the prose heavy with historical verbage.

Answer 7

ye tends to refer to more then one, as in "ye scurvy dogs" or "Ye all shall hang for this treason" Thee is used in a directive or inquisitive sense, as in "fair thee warned" or "Be thee searching for?" whereas thou is more of a utility word in regular conversation such as, "Me thinks thou doth protest to much" or "Does thou hear often from thine muse?" It has more to do with the location in a sentence and the idea being conveyed then anything else.