Using foreign words in a memory
Should all non-English words and phrases that may have been part of a family’s history be removed from a memory text? If not, how can the writer handle foreign words?
The foreign words in the life stories are a rich addition because they recreate the sound of a world that was once the writer’s. That is what we are all doing with our writing: celebrating a world that no longer exists. Many family histories would be impoverished by removing words that once ran in a family, words like Granny for Grandma. These and many other “foreign” words (to some people but not to the memoirist) in a text give us a flavor of the home and community in which the writer grew up. By turning foreign words into common English words, the writer would be creating a more boring and homogenized story.
One way to ensure that all foreign words are understood is to do the following:
1. Include a translation in parentheses immediately after you have used the word, for example place (a sweet Polish bread).
2. Paraphrase the word or phrase immediately, for example, “‘Disrupted!” she said. “Stop!”
3. Provide a translation in a note at the end of your book or at the bottom of the page. This is a bit less fluent, but footnotes and endnotes won’t irritate your readers if you think most of them will understand the word in the original.
Remember: Italicize all non-English words (except place names, personal names, or foreign words that are now accepted English terms, such as “matinee,” “facade,” or “pizza”).
Make your memories as colorful and interesting as the life you lived.
Good luck with your writing,
