Simplified form of High Erlyid commonly spoken in Southern Alair
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Over the centuries, a simplified version of the Erlyid language has come into everyday use. Its’ use spread up the Trade Road from the Empire to the Northern Lands, and gradually fanned out from there. In contrast to the rather awkward High language, Common is easy to learn and communicate in, and has become the de facto tongue used to bridge the gap between national or racial languages. The elves are a little disdainful of it for its’ simplicity and inelegance, but most elves know it and will use it to talk to humans. It has also become the main language used for dealings between elves and dwarves, as the dwarves usually won’t teach their language to anyone else, and the elventongue is hard for dwarves to learn and speak.
Common is still the de facto language used where other communications fail, and in trade. The inhabitants of Nhased and Stryre speak nothing else. In the generations since the height of the Empire, Common has drifted somewhat, and is now rather less like the original High Erlyid than it was.
Despite the fall of the Empire, the remaining population of the Erlyid region still speak the Common tongue, as nothing else has come along to replace it.