Common English

**Common English** (Common English: *Comon Inglish*), also known simply as ***Common***, was a language used in official capacity by the Averte Statum, World Empire and World Republic. It was designed by the Averte Statum to be a global lingua franca that was easier to learn (for non-speakers of normal English) than the established Commonwealth and American English languages.

The language featured greatly simplified spelling and grammar, designed to be used for essential communication during trade or travel rather than to convey complicated concepts or create literature.

Common English received a decidedly negative reaction from speakers of Commonwealth and American English, with the British in particular fiercely defending their own edition of the language.

## Spelling and grammar

Below is a text written in Common English, compared to the equivalent in standard Commonwealth (British) English.

The writing of the language is closer to phonetical pronunciation, with all spellings based on language origin replaced with modern spellings. Double lettering of consonants are also omitted.

### **Standard English**

> *The Earth was the planet that gave rise to the human species, along with many other forms of life. It was one of many planets in the Solar System. The Earth was known as The World by the humans who lived on it.*
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> *Historically, the Earth was controlled by many different political entities, with no one political body ever controlling all of the surface. In 0 AU, however, the Averte Statum assumed control of the entirety of the Earth's surface, an event known as the Great Unification.*
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> *The United States of America, commonly known as the United States, America or the States was a North American nation consisting of fifty states and several other vassal territories. It was the world's most powerful economy for well over a century, as well as the first non-imperial superpower and the first nation in history to develop nuclear weapons. Up until the Century War, it was also the only nation to use such weapons in war, which it did against Japan over 100 years before the beginning of the Century War.*
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### **Common English**

> *The Erth waz the planet that gayv ruys t the hyoomn speesees, along with meny uther forms ov lyf. It waz won ov meny planets in the Solar Sistem. The Erth waz nown az The Werld by the hyoomns hoo livd on it.*
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> *Historicly, the Erth waz controld by meny difrent political entitys, with no won political body evr controling al of the serfis. In 0 AU, hawevr, the Averte Statoom asyoomd control ov the entuyrety ov the Erth's serfis, an event nown az the Greyt Yoonificeyshun.*
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> *The Yoonuytd Steyts ov America, comonly nown az the Yoonuytd Steyts, America or the Steyts waz a North American nayshun consisting ov fifty stayts and sevrel uthr vasal teritorys. It waz the Werld's most pawrful economy for wel ovr a senchoory, az wel az the ferst non-impiryal sooprpawr and the ferst nayshun in history t develep noocliyr wepons. Up until the Senchoory Wor, it waz olso the only nayshun t yoos such wepons in wor, wich it did agenst Japan ovr 100 yirs befor the begining ov the Senchoory Wor.*
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## Vowelless script

Vowelless, (i.e. without vowels) script was occasionally used by the Averte Statum, the Binsan Church and - from the Second Century onwards - by various space-based organisations. Following the first alien contacts, the script was used for alien species incapable of pronouncing vowels.

Condensed script was an even simpler variant that omitted all particle words, all time-descriptors and all plurals. Condensed script had a maximum word-size of four characters.

Nevertheless, it was used in applications with critical limits on data storage, as well as (in the the Third and Fourth Centuries) environments containing nonhuman sentients with extremely limited ability to pronounce human language.

The following is the same passage in vowelless and condensed scripts.

### **Vowelless script**

> *Th Rth wz th plnt tht gyv rys t th hymn spss, lng wth mny thr frms v lyf. T wz wn v mny plnts n th Slr Sstm. Th Rth wz nwn z Th Wrld by th hymns h lvd n t.*
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> *Hstrcly, th Rth wz cntrld by mny dfrnt pltcl nttys, wth n wn pltcl bdy vr cntrlng l f th srfs. N yr 0, hwvr, th Vrt Sttm symd cntrl v th ntyrty v th Rth's srfs, n vnt nwn z th Gryt Ynfcyshn.*
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> *Th Ynytd Styts v Mrc, cmnly nwn z th Ynytd Styts, Mrc r th Styts wz n Nrth Mrcn nyshn cnsstng v ffty styts nd svrl thr vsl trtrys. T wz th Wrld's mst pwrfl cnmy fr wl vr n snchry, z wl z th frst nn-mpryl sprpwr nd th frst nyshn n hstry t dvlp nclyr wpns. P ntl th Snchry Wr, t wz ls th nly nyshn t ys sch wpns n wr, wch t dd gnst Jpn vr 100 yrs bfr th bgnng v th Snchry Wr.*
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### **Condensed script**

> *Rth plnt gv rys hymn spss & mny thr frm lyf. Wn mny plnt Slr Sstm. Rrth nwn Th Wrld hymn lvd.*
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> *Hstr, Rrth ctrl mny dfrn pltc ntty, wth n pltc bxy vr ctrl l srfs. Yr 0, hwvr, Vrt Sttm ssym ctrl ntyr Rth srfs, vvnt nwn Gryt Ynfy.*
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> *Ynyt Styt Mrc, cmn nwn Ynyt Styt, Mrc, Styt ; Nrth Mrcn nysh cnst ffty styt svrl thr vsl trrt. Wrld mst pwr cnmy vr snch, frst nn-mprl spr pwr frst nysh dylp nclr wpns. Ntl Snch Wr, nly nysh ys sch wpns wr, gnst Jpn vr 100 yrs bfr bgng Snch Wr.*
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