'Common' Fantasy Language
Lots of fantasy worlds do the ‘human/english dominant language’ but I was thinking it'd be more interesting to make a fantasy world's 'Common' language of a creole of several species. I'd call it ‘Comm’ as a pun standing for ‘communal’ and ‘common’. It’s rarely anyone’s first language but almost everyone is fluent in it. Language itself is a horrific mismash that everyone has tried to simplify without offending others. This is impossible:
Dwarves: Contributed lots of words for stone, construction and everything about facial hair. If you major in geology you’re picking up Dwarven linguistics as a minor and vice versa. Live with it!
Elves: Contributed words for textiles, music and High Elves influenced way too much modern magical terms – and arrogance - a at least as they’re taught in most schools of magic.
Orcs: Contributed many martial terms, sure, but more often lots of travel/directions and livestock names – including some species other people don’t consider ‘livestock’. Worgs aren't the worst offenders.
Humans: Contributed words for agriculture, healing (including some surgical ones only humans can survive) and sex. ‘Speaking human’ has become a eupherism in nearly every other non-human language.
Halflings: Contributed words for cooking, meals of the day and quite a few for family – including specifying exactly how people are related to each other in every possible way except whether by blood or adoption.
Gnomes: Contributed words for inventions, tech and mistakes. You can get through most of Mad Artificer Weekly or a drill sergeant's rant from their involvement in the Comm language alone.
Dragons/Dragonborn: All words for wealth come from them, along with the universal fantasy world's momentary system. Mathematics and taste-flavor words halflings didn't give are another major contribution.
Goblins: contribute all the wild flora/fauna words. The literal meanings (‘delicious’ or ‘will eat you’) are applicable enough that any ranger worth their salt is fluent in the Goblin language of their Favored Terrain.
