Common Tongue: Difference between revisions

** ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' subverts this by having several "trade languages" even on Faerûn. Usually people can talk to each other, but on the larger scale there are Common "common" (Heartlands' dialect of [[Planescape|Planecommon]]), Kara-Tur "common", Undercommon (mix of Dwarven, Gnomish, Low Drow, Uppersurface Common etc), Auld Wyrmish ("common" across dragon subspecies). There were repeated mentions of "modern Elvish" being the "common" language of the elvenkind using alphabet of Moon Elves (the subrace most inclined to travel), while the others othersdialects are dead or archaic mostly-dead languages. The Drow have High Drow (dead language used mostly by the priesthood) presumably closecloser fromto that of pre-Descent dark elves, and Low Drow (common dialect). Other continents may have their own "common" languages, like Midani of Zakhara (speaking of which, Jannti is "Genie Common" and has elemental dialects). While [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|many specific cultures]] retain their own tongues still - though some are reduced to dialects of "common". So learning all half a hundred or so present tongues (like Wemic or Gnomish speech) is unnecessary, but doesn't 'Comprehend Languages' spell look worth learning now?

* In ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' the "Gothic" language this purpose for the Imperium, acting as a way for cultures from different worlds to communicate. There is also High Gothic, which is used for official and religious purposes and has a role similar to Latin in medieval Europe in that no-one actually uses it as a first language but scholars and those of high rank are expected to know it.