In Cyberpunk RED, everyone begins with at least 4 Levels in their native language and at least 2 Levels in Streetslang.
By 2020, dozens of languages spoken regularly in Night City. 1/
By 2020, dozens of languages spoken regularly in Night City. 1/
Common languages included (but weren't limited to) English, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Italian, and Bantu Swahili.
As is the case in multilingual settings, a trade pidgin language developed. 2/
As is the case in multilingual settings, a trade pidgin language developed. 2/
A pidgin is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from several languages. 3/
In Night City, the pidgin spoken known as Streetslang. By 2045, some linguistic scholars are arguing it has evolved into a full creole. 4/
A creole is a stable natural language that develops from the simplifying and mixing of different languages into a new one within a fairly brief period of time: often, a pidgin evolved into a full-fledged language. 5/
There are a few different reasons why we include Streetslang in Cyberpunk 2020/RED.
1. As we mentioned, Night City is multicultural. We wanted to emphasis that immigrants from all over the world live there.
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1. As we mentioned, Night City is multicultural. We wanted to emphasis that immigrants from all over the world live there.
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2. In the Cyberpunk world, the United States began falling apart in the 1990s. One consequence of it being less united was the decline of English as a language standard.
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3. Primary education has grown increasingly rare by 2045. Without a state-mandated education system common to most children, the existence of a dominant language declines. In other words, if there are fewer schools to teach English, fewer people are learning it. 8/
4. The legacy of the Cyberpunk world, even in the Time of the Red, is built on Megacorps. When a Corp is as big as a nation, it imports its culture with it more than it adapts to the local culture. If you worked for Biotechnica, you needed to speak Italian. Arasaka? Japanese. 9/
While the Megacorps aren't as powerful or global as they once were in 2045, the communities they built still exist in Night City.
And that's why we have Language (Streetslang) as a Skill in Cyberpunk RED. 10/10
And that's why we have Language (Streetslang) as a Skill in Cyberpunk RED. 10/10
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