Common
Common, also referred to as Commonspeech or Common Tongue is the trade language of Urbûn. Almost every sentient, civilized being speak a smattering of it, and most are fluent. The most standard language that unites the world in trade and diplomacy, and divides it just as easily. Generally, all speaking peoples of Urbûn, including the humans of various lands, possess a native tongue. In addition, all humans and many nonhumans speak Common as a second language and are able to converse with each other in this language. The people of the continent of Ashad/Khondwanaq referes to Common as Dhorashta, while in the durish lands of Naghron it is known as
Common is simple enough as a language and that is why it is the standard language for all humans as well as a default for business between races or in many cities with many different races of people there.
Scholars and eexperts are certain Common grew from a kind of pidgin of an ancient human tounge, whos name has been lost,and is most closely related to that language, but it is far simpler and less expressive. Nuances of speech, naming, and phrasing are better conveyed in the older, more mature languages, since Common is little more than a trade language.
The great advantage of Common, of course, is its prevalence. Everybody in the ____ speaks Common well enough to get by in any but the most esoteric conversations. Even in remote areas such as ___ and ___, just about everybody knows enough Common to speak it badly. They might need to point or pantomime in a pinch, but they can make themselves understood.
Natives of widely separated areas are likely to regard each other’s accents as strange or even silly, but they still understand each other.
Most speakers will try their native regional language first. If they are not able to communicate in that way, most switch to Common. Using Common is a good way to say, "I'm not from around here."
Writing System
Common script is used to write Halfling, though Halfling writings tend to be relatively rare in general and especially so outside of Halfling communities. Elves from the lands of the The Nympharum Concord and the Feywild sometimes write Common in
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Common writing is unique in that it was the only script that had some amount of conscious design behind it, as opposed to developing naturally over centuries, as with other languages. Its characters are simple, and constructed entirely of straight lines and right-angles, making it easy to write in, no matter what tool is being used.
Common utilizes Thorass, the alphabet of the now-dead Old Common.
Geographical Distribution
Nearly everyone living in a multicultural settlement in Urbûn speaks some form of Common as a second language, including non-humans. Those in more secluded or homogenous areas speak it poorly, but most can get by.
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