Conlang on a Map

[Gala]

Hi Everyone,

Would it be ‘too much’ to use my conlang in my map? Instead of writing in English. The map is for a fictional world that I created for a WIP novel.

I thought this would be interesting, but it occurs to me this would just be confusing, since not everyone who likes maps is crazy about conlang.

Thanks for any input.

[Redrobes]

Its your map and you can put whatever you like on it. There are plenty of conlang fans on this site. The grand daddy of them with Tolkien had several conlangs of which the Dwarven on the main map of Bilbo is the best example. Also GoT has its languages as well - all very popular stuff.

[Kellerica]

I think you absolutely can use a conlang on a map, and especially if your language has its own writing system too, that can potentially look really great. But it would depend a bit on what is the intended purpose of your map. If it is mainly an illustration piece to create the right kind of atmosphere and increase immersion, then it's a perfect place to go nuts on these kinds of things. But if the main purpose is to give your readers information and be clear and readable, then using a language they won't understand most likely isn't the best way to go about it.

It all boils down to what you are trying to accomplish with the map you are creating. When you have an answer to that question, it's easier to see what is the right call for these kinds of decisions.

[Bruno Müller]

Well, I'm a cartographer-conlanger and I love putting special scripts on maps, but I agree wih Kellerica here. If you want people to understand your map, using your conlang isn't going to work.

For example, right now I'm working on a map that is going to be displayed on a boardgame shop, and it will have a fictional script that is intended to be deciphered by the passersby, so it's okay.

[Falconius]

If you want people to learn useful information from your map, and to care about it, it has to use legible communication. Tolkien's maps worked because it was part of the story and explained therein, the conlang also shared the page with English. If you have translation on the map, that also works (if you have the space).

[Gala]

Thanks guys.

The map I was thinking about was a map with very little writing. Just four countries really and no legend. It’s just for aesthetics and not use (roads or contours and stuff).

I started making maps because I wanted to make them the style that the governments in my WIP would. How they would portray other nations. So with all the crests and stuff, the conlang script would really in the spirit of things. And maybe leave English for the more detailed and useful maps.

[science&creativity]

I think if you're going for an aesthetic representation of how the 'in-world' people would make their maps, then using the appropriate ConLang on the map is very fitting. I've always found it interesting how maps in real life often reflect the biases/perceptions of whoever designed them to some degree, so this sounds pretty cool to me.
Though I do think that the further you go into ConLang territory, the riskier it is - i.e.: if the spellings are too unusual/difficult to pronounce or you've written everything in a constructed writing system, but with only four countries and not a huge amount of small detail, it's probably fine regardless. (anyone who doesn't want to delve into figuring out ConLangs won't feel like they're missing large pieces of key information etc.)

[keirdubois]

I think if you're going for an aesthetic representation of how the 'in-world' people would make their maps, then using the appropriate ConLang on the map is very fitting. I've always found it interesting how maps in real life often reflect the biases/perceptions of whoever designed them to some degree, so this sounds pretty cool to me.
Though I do think that the further you go into ConLang territory, the riskier it is - i.e.: if the spellings are too unusual/difficult to pronounce or you've written everything in a constructed writing system, but with only four countries and not a huge amount of small detail, it's probably fine regardless. (anyone who doesn't want to delve into figuring out ConLangs won't feel like they're missing large pieces of key information etc.)

+1 to this. I've been moving veeeeery slowly (like, over decades!) toward avoiding ConLang, mostly for accessibility reasons. But if it works for what you want it to do, then use it! I say that as both a designer (create with your audience in mind!) and an English major (cite your reasons for doing what you do!), so take it with appropriate bushels of salt.

[Tiana]

So far I've used a conlang on exclusively one map, for the icons representing the family territories. There is also an English translation of the text that would be on the banner.