Sadly, your write-up must be missing the always useful "fluent in Jeff-isms." :)
Jeff-ism: "Maybe it is just me..."
Literal translation to English: "Maybe it is just me who thinks this,
but...."
Meaning: "In my opinion"
To put a rule's spin on this, this short of verbal short hand seems to be fairly common in Orlanthi cultures, judging by the severe penalties imposed on one group of Orlanthi trying to understand another back in Runequest (some earth languages were very static, other mutated freely. Apparently Hendriki et al are the Gloranthan equivalents of German language family).
In HW what would seem an appropriate penalty to understand those blokes with the thick accent and odd coloquialisms? Character's aren't assigned a "speak own language" score, so you can't simply apply a penalty and call it a normal contest. (This is assuming that the narrator has a reason to play up the language barrier, rather than glossing over it).
On a less related note, any suggestions on what sort of score gives what sort of competency in a foreign language? With a 13 are you comfortable haggling in the market, or are you painfully difficult to understand at all?
--Bryan
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