(This thread references the quest 'To Kill an Empire' from Skyrim.)

Obviously whatever language we are playing TES: Skyrim in is Tamrielic. But how, and I repeat how can you justify using French in the English language version? When did France colonize a province of Tamriel? Anyone?

If any of you lore buffs can explain this to me, I would be gob-smacked.

Same reason we have Breton names like "Louis" and "Marielle": France (or rather, French-sounding things) is a cipher or metaphor for Breton culture. I mean, the Celtic/Romance aesthetic and even name of Bretony is already tying them to that stereotype, and Skyrim loves easy real-world comparisons (their Imperials are more Roman than Oblivion's and maybe even Morrowind). Bretons are great chefs, and some of their dishes use French names because we associate haute cuisine with France. Just like how people aren't actually talking English (or whatever language your game is in), they're probably talking Tamrielic.

It's not a pretty, in-universe explanation, but that's how it is, as far as I can see.

So what you're saying is that Tamrielic includes some French phrases because of Breton (French-Celtic) culture? Have I interpreted that correctly?

I'm saying that you hear French, but it's actually Breton. Which might be entirely unlike real-world French, but the French language is used to play on our assumptions about the stereotype. It wouldn't have the same connotations if they told you the name of the dish in, say, Portuguese, and you wouldn't understand it if they constucted a wholly fictional language for Bretons (which is a lot of work besides).

Ahh. Good explanation. Thank you!

I may be going way out there on this one.

In the appendices Tolkien talks about "translating the Red Book" and using names that evoke the same ideas as the original Hobbit language (I can't remember what it's called). I have assumed that BSG is "translating" the world of Tamriel for us and using real-world ciphers (Romans, French) as ways to make the alien cultures of Tamriel more understandable to us. That would be a reasonably good in-world(ish) explanation, but I think Umpteen has the right of it.

It's not really French, same as it's not really English.

Bretons seem to have a more medievally europey type of culture, so French and English are about right

Out of curiosity, I wonder what it's called in the French version of the game...

Strangely enough, it's been "translated" "http://lagbt.wiwiland.net/wikibiblio/index.php/Saveurs_incongrues". "Du" in this case, being a possessive, "Magnifique" referring to the Gourmet himself. And "gourmet" is also a French word.

... and the cuisine.

It's not French, it's High Daggerest aristocrospit.

Remember that the Reachmen have also their own pseudo-Gaelic language. I wonder if High Rock is as linguistically fragmented as it is politically.

There's also some Latin floating around: the books De Rerum Dirennis, Ordo Legionis, ... Same principle, we're supposed to interpret it as the Tamrielian equivalent of Latin.

High Rock is very inspired from the antic, medieval and mythic Western Europe. The Direnni inspiration looks like the Roman inspiration. After the wars against the Cyro-Nords/Germains, the Direnni Hegemony is defeat. One of the Direnni influence/Romanity bastion, the Reach/the Britain resists against the Cyro-Nords/Germains, led by a great king, Faolan/Arthur, who receive a magic sword, given by a hagraven/ a fairy.

Moreover, that's normal that the words about the famous cuisine of Tamriel are in French language : we have the best cuisine of Europe, even the whole world!

Naw, [censored]n DT Kirby has the best cuisine in the world, mon frere. He's from Chi Town.

Is this also why books with apparently only 2 pages of English text are represented as huge tomes with thousands of pages? I guess the text, when written in Tamrielic (or whatever) would physically take up a lot of space to write down, but when translated and condensed in real-world English for the player to read... :S

Could be we're just get the most relevant parts of the books. Books like the Annotated Anuad are clearly longer than what we get in-game.

No, it's complete: http://www.imperial-library.info/content/annotated-anuad