Why hasn't the EU got a common language?

[gentlemand]

I had real problems reading Chaucer at school. Thank goodness we've moved on from that.

Yup. Last time I was in Vegas everyone was talking in blank verse.

I always find it fun explaining to foreigners that your average Brit can barely understand one fucking word of Shakespeare. They get spoilt with translations that, y'know, translate it. I'd like some too.

[BADecker]

Why hasn't the EU got a common language? For the same reason that most of Europe doesn't have common law. Notice that it was Britain, the common law nation of Europe, that voted to be out of the civil law EU.

[alyssa85]

Ah! The Mayflower. There have been so many Brexits.

The amusing thing is that the American puritans came back to Britain during the English Civil War to help Cromwell - they helped turn a few of the battles too.

[Cyaren]

Why hasn't the EU got a common language? For the same reason that most of Europe doesn't have common law. Notice that it was Britain, the common law nation of Europe, that voted to be out of the civil law EU.

wow i would like to see common law or language in europe,it is never going to happen but would be pretty interesting...
Common law would make a big difference for me,i want it but well i can only dream about things like that: politics ;(

[BADecker]

Why hasn't the EU got a common language? For the same reason that most of Europe doesn't have common law. Notice that it was Britain, the common law nation of Europe, that voted to be out of the civil law EU.

wow i would like to see common law or language in europe,it is never going to happen but would be pretty interesting...
Common law would make a big difference for me,i want it but well i can only dream about things like that: politics ;(

Actually, common law is at the core of all the people living in the civil law lands of Europe and the rest of the world. The difference is that it is not above civil law, and is barely incorporated with CL in most.

[frankmb]

After all, they have got a common everything else. I guess it's because the obvious language to use would be English, and they don't want to give Britain too much recognition. Could this be yet another reason for Britain to leave the EU?

I guess not...

But i'm from the Netherlands and they teach us, English, German and French as well on high school.

Spanish and Latin are given as well for the higher grade students, but the three above are the common ones.

[romero121]

After all, they have got a common everything else. I guess it's because the obvious language to use would be English, and they don't want to give Britain too much recognition. Could this be yet another reason for Britain to leave the EU?

That's not true and no one wish to lose their identity. Language is a big identity that each and every user has got. By the formation of European union everyone got unified, for this reason there is no need for a common language.