Common



Common is the trade language of Faerûn. Almost every sentient civilized being speaks a smattering of it and most are fluent. While most cannot read or write the language, generally, the people of Faerûn will be able to converse with each other in this language.

Dialects vary from region to region, but generally, communication should be possible. For example, Bruenor Battlehammer has a distinct Scottish-style "accent", while his companion Drizzt Do'Urden seems to speak like a scholar, with little trace of inflection in the video games Baldur's Gate 2: Dark Alliance and Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone. Sometimes, an archaic form of common will be encountered, such as spoken by Elminster Aumar, complete with "thees" and "thous."

In other realms, "common" may be a different form. An example is the Underdark, as the residents there speak what is known as Undercommon. Inhabitants of different planes might also speak different forms of "common".