So, I've been toying with a thought: What would the most universally understandable way of speaking and writing be in Europe?
I don't care about grammar, so we focus on vocabulary only. We need translations for at least the 1000 most commonly used English words.
The approach I take is to try to find a least common denominator between the Slavic, Germanic and Romance languages, represented through Polish, German and Italian. To do this I use... *drumroll* Google Translate. Pull requests very welcome.
| English | Mutty McMuttface |
|---|---|
| a | una |
| able | kanne |
| about | circa |
| absolute | absolut |
| accept | aksept |
| account | akkonto |
| achieve | |
| across | |
| act | zagire |
| active | aktiv |
| actual | effektiv |
| add | doadd |
| address | adresso |
| admit | |
| advertise | annonsio |
| affect | |
| afford | |
| after | |
| afternoon | |
| again | |
| against | |
| age | |
| agent | |
| ago | |
| agree | |
| air | |
| all | |
| allow | |
| almost | |
| along | |
| already | |
| alright | |
| also | |
| although | |
| always | |
| America | |
| amount | |
| and | |
| another | |
| answer | |
| any | |
| apart | |
| apparent | |
| appear | |
| apply | |
| appoint | |
| approach | |
| appropriate | |
| area | |
| argue | |
| arm | |
| around | |
| arrange | |
| art | |
| as | |
| ask | |
| associate | |
| assume | |
| at | |
| attend | |
| authority | |
| available | |
| aware | |
| away | |
| awful | |
| baby | |
| back | |
| bad | |
| bag | |
| balance | |
| ball | |
| bank | |
| bar | |
| base | |
| basis | |
| be | |
| bear | |
| beat | |
| beauty | |
| because | |
| become | |
| bed | |
| before | |
| begin | |
| behind | |
| believe | |
| benefit | |
| best | |
| bet | |
| between | |
| big | |
| bill | |
| birth | |
| bit | |
| black | |
| bloke | |
| blood | |
| blow | |
| blue | |
| board | |
| boat | |
| body | |
| book | |
| both | |
| bother | |
| bottle | |
| bottom | |
| box | |
| boy | |
| break | |
| brief | |
| brilliant | |
| bring | |
| Britain | |
| brother | |
| budget | |
| build | |
| bus | |
| business | |
| busy | |
| but | |
| buy | |
| by | |
| cake | |
| call | |
| can | |
| car | |
| card | |
| care | |
| carry | |
| case | |
| cat | |
| catch | |
| cause | |
| cent | |
| centre | |
| certain | |
| chair | |
| chairman | |
| chance | |
| change | |
| chap | |
| character | |
| charge | |
| cheap | |
| check | |
| child | |
| choice | |
| choose | |
| Christ | |
| Christmas | |
| church | |
| city | |
| claim | |
| class | |
| clean | |
| clear | |
| client | |
| clock | |
| close | |
| closes | |
| clothe | |
| club | |
| coffee | |
| cold | |
| colleague | |
| collect | |
| college | |
| colour | |
| come | |
| comment | |
| commit | |
| committee | |
| common | |
| community | |
| company | |
| compare | |
| complete | |
| compute | |
| concern | |
| condition | |
| confer | |
| consider | |
| consult | |
| contact | |
| continue | |
| contract | |
| control | |
| converse | |
| cook | |
| copy | |
| corner | |
| correct | |
| cost | |
| could | |
| council | |
| count | |
| country | |
| county | |
| couple | |
| course | |
| court | |
| cover | |
| create | |
| cross | |
| cup | |
| current | |
| cut | |
| dad | |
| danger | |
| date | |
| day | |
| dead | |
| deal | |
| dear | |
| debate | |
| decide | |
| decision | |
| deep | |
| definite | |
| degree | |
| department | |
| depend | |
| describe | |
| design | |
| detail | |
| develop | |
| die | |
| difference | |
| difficult | |
| dinner | |
| direct | |
| discuss | |
| district | |
| divide | |
| do | |
| doctor | |
| document | |
| dog | |
| door | |
| double | |
| doubt | |
| down | |
| draw | |
| dress | |
| drink | |
| drive | |
| drop | |
| dry | |
| due | |
| during | |
| each | |
| early | |
| east | |
| easy | |
| eat | |
| economy | |
| educate | |
| effect | |
| egg | |
| eight | |
| either | |
| elect | |
| electric | |
| eleven | |
| else | |
| employ | |
| encourage | |
| end | |
| engine | |
| English | |
| enjoy | |
| enough | |
| enter | |
| environment | |
| equal | |
| especial | |
| Europe | |
| even | |
| evening | |
| ever | |
| every | |
| evidence | |
| exact | |
| example | |
| except | |
| excuse | |
| exercise | |
| exist | |
| expect | |
| expense | |
| experience | |
| explain | |
| express | |
| extra | |
| eye | |
| face | |
| fact | |
| fair | |
| fall | |
| family | |
| far | |
| farm | |
| fast | |
| father | |
| favour | |
| feed | |
| feel | |
| few | |
| field | |
| fight | |
| figure | |
| file | |
| fill | |
| film | |
| final | |
| finance | |
| find | |
| fine | |
| finish | |
| fire | |
| first | |
| fish | |
| fit | |
| five | |
| flat | |
| floor | |
| fly | |
| follow | |
| food | |
| foot | |
| for | |
| force | |
| forget | |
| form | |
| fortune | |
| forward | |
| four | |
| France | |
| free | |
| Friday | |
| friend | |
| from | |
| front | |
| full | |
| fun | |
| function | |
| fund | |
| further | |
| future | |
| game | |
| garden | |
| gas | |
| general | |
| Germany | |
| get | |
| girl | |
| give | |
| glass | |
| go | |
| god | |
| good | |
| goodbye | ciao |
| govern | |
| grand | |
| grant | |
| great | |
| green | |
| ground | |
| group | |
| grow | |
| guess | |
| guy | |
| hair | |
| half | |
| hall | |
| hand | |
| hang | |
| happen | |
| happy | |
| hard | |
| hate | |
| have | |
| he | |
| head | |
| health | |
| hear | |
| heart | |
| heat | |
| heavy | |
| hell | |
| help | |
| here | |
| high | |
| history | |
| hit | |
| hold | |
| holiday | |
| home | |
| honest | |
| hope | |
| horse | |
| hospital | |
| hot | |
| hour | |
| house | |
| how | |
| however | |
| hullo | |
| hundred | |
| husband | |
| idea | |
| identify | |
| if | |
| imagine | |
| important | |
| improve | |
| in | |
| include | |
| income | |
| increase | |
| indeed | |
| individual | |
| industry | |
| inform | |
| inside | |
| instead | |
| insure | |
| interest | |
| into | |
| introduce | |
| invest | |
| involve | |
| issue | |
| it | |
| item | |
| Jesus | |
| job | |
| join | |
| judge | |
| jump | |
| just | |
| keep | |
| key | |
| kid | |
| kill | |
| kind | |
| king | |
| kitchen | |
| knock | |
| know | |
| labour | |
| lad | |
| lady | |
| land | |
| language | |
| large | |
| last | |
| late | |
| laugh | |
| law | |
| lay | |
| lead | |
| learn | |
| leave | |
| left | |
| leg | |
| less | |
| let | |
| letter | |
| level | |
| lie | |
| life | |
| light | |
| like | |
| likely | |
| limit | |
| line | |
| link | |
| list | |
| listen | |
| little | |
| live | |
| load | |
| local | |
| lock | |
| London | |
| long | |
| look | |
| lord | |
| lose | |
| lot | |
| love | |
| low | |
| luck | |
| lunch | |
| machine | |
| main | |
| major | |
| make | |
| man | |
| manage | |
| many | |
| mark | |
| market | |
| marry | |
| match | |
| matter | |
| may | |
| maybe | |
| mean | |
| meaning | |
| measure | |
| meet | |
| member | |
| mention | |
| middle | |
| might | |
| mile | |
| milk | |
| million | |
| mind | |
| minister | |
| minus | |
| minute | |
| miss | |
| mister | |
| moment | |
| Monday | |
| money | |
| month | |
| more | |
| morning | |
| most | |
| mother | |
| motion | |
| move | |
| Mrs | |
| much | |
| music | |
| must | |
| name | |
| nation | |
| nature | |
| near | |
| necessary | |
| need | |
| never | |
| new | |
| news | |
| next | |
| nice | |
| night | |
| nine | |
| no | |
| non | |
| none | |
| normal | |
| north | |
| not | |
| note | |
| notice | |
| now | |
| number | |
| obvious | |
| occasion | |
| odd | |
| of | |
| off | |
| offer | |
| office | |
| often | |
| okay | |
| old | |
| on | |
| once | |
| one | |
| only | |
| open | |
| operate | |
| opportunity | |
| oppose | |
| or | |
| order | |
| organize | |
| original | |
| other | |
| otherwise | |
| ought | |
| out | |
| over | |
| own | |
| pack | |
| page | |
| paint | |
| pair | |
| paper | |
| paragraph | |
| pardon | |
| parent | |
| park | |
| part | |
| particular | |
| party | |
| pass | |
| past | |
| pay | |
| pence | |
| pension | |
| people | |
| per | |
| percent | |
| perfect | |
| perhaps | |
| period | |
| person | |
| photograph | |
| pick | |
| picture | |
| piece | |
| place | |
| plan | |
| play | |
| please | |
| plus | |
| point | |
| police | |
| policy | |
| politic | |
| poor | |
| position | |
| positive | |
| possible | |
| post | |
| pound | |
| power | |
| practise | |
| prepare | |
| present | |
| press | |
| pressure | |
| presume | |
| pretty | |
| previous | |
| price | |
| private | |
| probable | |
| problem | |
| proceed | |
| process | |
| produce | |
| product | |
| programme | |
| project | |
| proper | |
| propose | |
| protect | |
| provide | |
| public | |
| pull | |
| purpose | |
| push | |
| put | |
| quality | |
| quarter | |
| question | |
| quick | |
| quid | |
| quiet | |
| quite | |
| radio | |
| rail | |
| raise | |
| range | |
| rate | |
| rather | |
| read | |
| ready | |
| real | |
| realise | realizzo |
| really | |
| reason | |
| receive | |
| recent | |
| reckon | |
| recognize | |
| recommend | |
| record | |
| red | |
| reduce | |
| refer | |
| regard | |
| region | |
| relation | |
| remember | |
| report | |
| represent | |
| require | |
| research | |
| resource | |
| respect | |
| responsible | |
| rest | |
| result | |
| return | |
| rid | |
| right | |
| ring | |
| rise | |
| road | |
| role | |
| roll | |
| room | |
| round | |
| rule | |
| run | |
| safe | |
| sale | |
| same | |
| Saturday | |
| save | |
| say | |
| scheme | |
| school | |
| science | |
| score | |
| Scotland | |
| seat | |
| second | |
| secretary | |
| section | |
| secure | |
| see | |
| seem | |
| self | |
| sell | |
| send | |
| sense | |
| separate | |
| serious | |
| serve | |
| service | |
| set | |
| settle | |
| seven | |
| sex | |
| shall | |
| share | |
| she | |
| sheet | |
| shoe | |
| shoot | |
| shop | |
| short | |
| should | |
| show | |
| shut | |
| sick | |
| side | |
| sign | |
| similar | |
| simple | |
| since | |
| sing | |
| single | |
| sir | |
| sister | |
| sit | |
| site | |
| situate | |
| six | |
| size | |
| sleep | |
| slight | |
| slow | |
| small | |
| smoke | |
| so | |
| social | |
| society | |
| some | |
| son | |
| soon | |
| sorry | |
| sort | |
| sound | |
| south | |
| space | |
| speak | |
| special | |
| specific | |
| speed | |
| spell | |
| spend | |
| square | |
| staff | |
| stage | |
| stairs | |
| stand | |
| standard | |
| start | |
| state | |
| station | |
| stay | |
| step | |
| stick | |
| still | |
| stop | |
| story | |
| straight | |
| strategy | |
| street | |
| strike | |
| strong | |
| structure | |
| student | |
| study | |
| stuff | |
| stupid | |
| subject | |
| succeed | |
| such | |
| sudden | |
| suggest | |
| suit | |
| summer | |
| sun | |
| Sunday | |
| supply | |
| support | |
| suppose | |
| sure | |
| surprise | |
| switch | |
| system | |
| table | |
| take | |
| talk | |
| tape | |
| tax | |
| tea | |
| teach | |
| team | |
| telephone | |
| television | |
| tell | |
| ten | |
| tend | |
| term | |
| terrible | |
| test | |
| than | |
| thank | |
| the | |
| then | |
| there | |
| therefore | |
| they | |
| thing | |
| think | |
| thirteen | |
| thirty | |
| this | |
| thou | |
| though | |
| thousand | |
| three | |
| through | |
| throw | |
| Thursday | |
| tie | |
| time | |
| to | |
| today | |
| together | |
| tomorrow | |
| tonight | |
| too | |
| top | |
| total | |
| touch | |
| toward | |
| town | |
| trade | |
| traffic | |
| train | |
| transport | |
| travel | |
| treat | |
| tree | |
| trouble | |
| true | |
| trust | |
| try | |
| Tuesday | |
| turn | |
| twelve | |
| twenty | |
| two | |
| type | |
| under | |
| understand | |
| union | |
| unit | |
| unite | |
| university | |
| unless | |
| until | |
| up | |
| upon | |
| use | |
| usual | |
| value | |
| various | |
| very | |
| video | |
| view | |
| village | |
| visit | |
| vote | |
| wage | |
| wait | |
| walk | |
| wall | |
| want | |
| war | |
| warm | |
| wash | |
| waste | |
| watch | |
| water | |
| way | |
| we | |
| wear | |
| Wednesday | |
| wee | |
| week | |
| weigh | |
| welcome | |
| well | |
| west | |
| what | |
| when | |
| where | |
| whether | |
| which | |
| while | |
| white | |
| who | |
| whole | |
| why | |
| wide | |
| wife | |
| will | |
| win | |
| wind | |
| window | |
| wish | |
| with | |
| within | |
| without | |
| woman | |
| wonder | |
| wood | |
| word | |
| work | |
| world | |
| worry | |
| worse | |
| worth | |
| would | |
| write | |
| wrong | |
| year | |
| yes | |
| yesterday | |
| yet | |
| you | |
| young |