As a consumer of fantasy media, I always noticed that either everyone speaks English or they rarely face language barriers. That’s because it’s fantasy. You can do whatever you want.

So, I thought I’d explore the idea of a universal fantasy language that everyone on Elgana uses, so that they can communicate easier. Could I explain myself? Would it sound possible and real?

What if there was a common language?

Idea sparked. What if there was a common language that everyone spoke? Has this ever been created in reality? Can I take inspiration from that? How would I explain how the language was created? Does it sound realistic enough?

Something like Esperanto?

I did think about Esperanto. When I first came across it many years ago, I thought it was a cool idea, but also inconvenient for non-kids to learn because kids absorb things like sponges. Especially, I’ve heard, 5-year-olds.

I don’t know why, but Esperanto never really permeated Earth. Having a universal language for easier communication ended as a someone’s dream.

But that doesn’t have to happen on Elgana. Why CAN everyone communicate with ease? There HAS TO BE a universally common fantasy language that they’re speaking and I’m translating.

Goodbye Native Language? Nope

No one would have to let go of their native language. Why would you do that? But I did have the idea that some races would because it would be easier to use Universal and the more people use, the less the native language would be taught, and the fewer people would speak it as generations go by.

That’s what happens to language. It fades over time as fewer speak it and fewer can teach it. Like the Ainu language of the Ainu natives in Japan, Hokkaido. There are people of the younger generation who are trying to keep the language alive, and I think that’s wonderful thing. Language is identity and culture.

So, realistically speaking, native Elganian languages would fade over time. Some would try to keep it alive. And possibly, to this day, there are Hybrids of Elgana who are trying to keep the language of the ancestors alive. Who knows?

The Name is…Universal?

How to name a language that everyone uses? If you’re from Japan, you speak Japanese. If you’re from Australia with aboriginal roots, you might speak Australian English and some surviving aboriginal languages.

But I already have native Elganians speaking Elganian languages (for example, the Kaunlutha species spoke “Kaunluthan tongue”, they called it). There’s no “Elganian” because that would mean the natives would have had to have a common language of the world. They had a common communication system put in place, but a lot of it was charades.

Humans brought the language from Earth, but it’s not Esperanto. It’s a common, universal language…

Oh heck with it! I’ll just say humans were silly and called the language “Universal”, but then it stuck.

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Universal, a language for everyone

Ermahgerd, it’s fantaser langwag!

But hey, wait a moment, I’m writing in English and sometimes even having characters say things that sounds like I’m talking about English words or the English alphabet.

So, how do I explain myself? A writer friend, or maybe it was a writer acquaintance… I can’t remember who, but someone once said to the general social media public that us writers, we’re translating conversations. The character aren’t actually speaking fluent English or talking about the English alphabet. No, my characters are speaking Universal and talking about the Universal alphabet (which is probably very close to English, to be honest).

I’m not a language-creating expert, so I can’t even say if Universal isn’t just a version of Esperanto with less Spanish and more English (for my own sake because lets face it, I’m the writer, and I can only speak Japanese and English). I have no idea what it sounds like, but I’m translating it for you, so you can understand what the characters are saying. I even leave in the accents which I believe they have.