Jayna Baas’s Reviews > The Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen > Status Update
Jayna Baas
is on page 31 of 132
Anyone have the slightest idea what a muckle whanger is? Here I am, reading merrily along in this eighteenth-century English, and all of a sudden I come upon this: “The combatants were to discharge each a pocket pistol, and then to fall on with their iron-hilted muckle whangers.”
I assume it’s some sort of sword-like weapon. But just saying it makes me want to laugh.
— May 19, 2022 02:40PM
I assume it’s some sort of sword-like weapon. But just saying it makes me want to laugh.
7 likes · Like flag
Jayna’s Previous Updates
Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)
date
newest »
newest »
Thank you! I was piecing together something to that effect, but it just threw me for a loop since the rest of the book was quite proper English. Scots English makes sense for the era, though.
Jayna wrote: "Thank you! I was piecing together something to that effect, but it just threw me for a loop since the rest of the book was quite proper English. Scots English makes sense for the era, though."You're quite welcome :)
I think a little Scots English might be a good detail to include in a novel set in this era. just sayen ;)
Yes, I agree! I’ve been working on period dialect in other ways, especially since I have a Scots Irish character, but I’d never run across this particular term.
Jayna wrote: "Yes, I agree! I’ve been working on period dialect in other ways, especially since I have a Scots Irish character, but I’d never run across this particular term."I like the inclusion of well written period dialect but it is apparently not to everyone's liking.
I forgot to mention before. Muckle can also means Much.
and I think Whanger also has a more modern and much cruder meaning. so probably best to avoid.
I sort of ran across that as I was looking it up. So I concur. I also love dialect, but not if it gets difficult to read.
Jayna wrote: "I sort of ran across that as I was looking it up. So I concur. I also love dialect, but not if it gets difficult to read."I know what you mean. I remember a character in Charles Dickens's Hard Times who spoke in dialect and had a lisp. pretty tough to decipher.
On the other hand. some of the dialogue in dialect in some of the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, S.R. Crockett and Sir Walter Scott can be challenging but I tend to enjoy it.
And in this case Whang would be to strike. Whanger something to strike with. in this case a knife of sword.