Humans speak over 7000 languages yet most fictional races only speak 1. amirite?

I think typically in fantasy worlds you have a "common" tongue that everyone speaks and then other languages that can be divided by class and race. It just makes it easier for worldbuilding and interaction — you can't have a party of heroes that can't communicate with each other.

by Acceptable-Try 1 week ago

Well, that's just a "common language" with an extra step. That said, as a DM, I do like the idea of that, don't get me wrong.

by johnstonyasmine 1 week ago

Yep. It's the same in our world. Most countries teach kids how to speak English since it's pretty much agree upon to be t he common tongue

by libbyblock 1 week ago

Lingua Franca I think is the word.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

This guy human geographies

by elockman 1 week ago

I just like sneaky gay men named after animals

by Anonymous 1 week ago

But even in fantasy worlds where they can't communicate with each other, they all secretly speak the same language.

by ArtistKind 1 week ago

Most fictional races / species are homogenous

by Distinct_Bedroom_200 1 week ago

It's called the planet of the hats trope

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Except elves, those are just racist. Or have you ever seen high elves living among wood elves; or high elves and moon elves coexisting peacefully?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

And humans are on their way. Slowly but surely.

by Temporary_Date 1 week ago

Most humans speak one of 3 languages, at least as a second tongue. English, Spanish, and Chinese. Many fictional races have one dominant language and multiple less common variants/dialects.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Yay, Colonialism! Wait...

by Anonymous 1 week ago

"Universal Translator" In most hypothetical sci-fi worlds, the places are either places that were colonized, so they would be somewhat mono-cultural (see a place like Australia, genocide aside). Perhaps the "natural evolution" of advanced cultures leads to a single "lingua franca" that would also be widely taught and learned. Funny how most cultures encountered in most sci-fi are also quite fully educated.

by ojerde 1 week ago

☝️🤓 it's because fictional races haven't angered the divine being into destroying their tower of Babel.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Every race poops but I've never seen a Ferengi toilet.

by Perfect_Bar 1 week ago

I will never be the person I was before reading this.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

And all wear the same outfits... like uniforms.

by Elissacarter 1 week ago

Good point. Just makes me appreciate all the work Tolkien put into his world's languages even more. The Elves had at least two languages (Quenya and Sindarin), maybe more?

by hal79 1 week ago

If we ever meet aliens, they will also think we all sound the same.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Don't forget that most fictional planets (at least in fiction that has many planets) have, like, ONE culture. For everywhere. The whole planet is like one nation.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

One nation, with one biome, with one person that matters in any way whatsoever

by Anonymous 1 week ago

But fictional humans also speak only one. Most science fiction movies (particularly older ones) show English as the Earth language with almost no acknowledgement that there might be a couple other languages as well.

by Fun-Standard-9916 1 week ago

Imagine if only some Klingons spoke Klingon

by Alternative_Set 1 week ago

Do they? In star trek they use universal translators so you hear them in English. Who knows what language they use.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I think if you were from some other country you wouldn't see this exactly the same. But o don't know that as English is my first language

by Anonymous 1 week ago

im thinking of aliens, aliens that have reached space age, and one nation ha taken over their homeworld before they colonized another planet. this would mean theyd have one language for everyday use, which would be thr one translated for inter-species communication. the extra languages arent usually elaborated on because worldbuilding is hard

by Anonymous 1 week ago

And it's usually English

by Mireya67 1 week ago

Even worse - Earth has multiple biomes dictated by latitude and etc. Most science fiction planets have one biome - green jungle, or desert, or plains, or forests etc.

by hattiepadberg 1 week ago

yeah cause i dont want to spend 80h of a film seeing someone learning languages. its boring af.

by Western-Geologist132 1 week ago

Most fictional races are created by Americans. I'll say no more.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Lord of the rings is British.

by According_Arm_5450 1 week ago

Close enough, but with tea.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

And as such, plenty of languages to choose from ;)

by Anonymous 1 week ago