The Common Tongue is a language commonly spoken in Tamriel. There are regional accents, but these do not result in a lack of comprehensibility.
While some orcs who live in orc strongholds understand the Common Tongue, many clans instead speak local languages.
Language[]
Differences in speech can be observed between the highborn and lowborn of Tamriel. These differences can be found in the sound of their speech, but also in the use of specific phrases and words. An example is the use of "my lord" by nobles, but "m'lord" by peasants. Although the degree of which it is used differs greatly between the common born, the lowborn patois can be seen in multiple further instances:
- Example 1: "She ast me to, m'lord," . . . "She ast me to." . . . "It's not no sword, it's only a stick."
- Example 2: "She don't know me," . . . "but I knows her, oh, yes."
Regional accents can lead someone to determine where a person has been born. This is not limited to the regions of Tamriel (Summerset Archipelago, Cyrodiil, Elsweyr, Valenwood, Hammerfell, High Rock, Skyrim, Black Marsh, and Morrowind), but also specific cities.
The largest difference within Tamriel can be found in Skyrim and Hammerfell, where the Common Tongue is marked by the influences of the Old Tongue of the Atmorans and the lost language of the Yokudans respectively. This influence can be found all over the two regions, but most strongly among the rural Nords of Skyrim, who have the most Atmoran blood. The Redguards speak with a Redguard drawl, stretching, rolling, or lilting some words. Some describe the Redguard speech as charming. The Khajiit of Elsweyr also speak with a thick accent, the origins of which are unknown.
History[]
The Common Tongue evolved out of the ancient semi-language known as Slave's Cant, which was used by the slaves of the Ayleid Empire to communicate, as Ayleid slavemasters were generally opposed to their native language of Ayleidoon being tainted by the speech of the subjugated Nedes. After Alessia I Paravant's successful Slave Rebellion, Slave's Cant was made the official language of the newly-founded empire. The language eventually evolved into the modern-day Common Tongue, spreading to the vast corners of Tamriel.
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