To #writers of fiction set in more historical times, do you use words from that time period that may have more recently taken on different or negative connotations or do you substitute a more modern word that is anachronistic? I try to avoid words that sound too modern or appeared in English usage long after the time I'm writing about, but how strictly do others adhere to that rule?
Specifically, I'm puzzling right now about using a word like "buddies," which first appears in the 1800s, in a story set in the 1600s. At the earlier date "comrades" or "confederates" might have been used, but the modern reader might add unwanted baggage to those words. It seems as though "pals" might not have appeared until the 1700s. "Brothers" might imply a family connection.
Am I over thinking this?
