Polyglots, Language Masters and Multilinguals
One Language
Command of at least one language is necessary for survival in this world. Nature expects that at least one language be learned by everyone in this world.
Bilinguals (Two Languages)
Speaking two languages is very common in today's world. With the rise of internationalization and globalization, there are many people globally that can speak at least two languages fluently. Many times the primary language is the native tongue of the particular region of the world, and the secondary language is either English, French, German, Italian or one of the other Romance languages.
Trilinguals (Three Languages)
Speaking three languages is less common in today's world, but there are quite a few people who can speak at least three languages.
Polyglots (Four or More Languages)
A polyglot is someone with a high degree of proficiency in several languages. Throughout history, there have been quite a few people that have known more than four languages. In today's world, there still exists regions whereby it is necessary to know more than four languages (i.e. Netherlands). Below, here are a few famous Polyglots in history that have commanded languages:
Maria Gaetana Agnesi
(More Than 7 languages)
May 16, 1718 - January 9, 1799
Italian linguist, mathematician, and philosopher. Maria was recognized as a child prodigy very early; she could speak both French and Italian at five years of age. By her thirteenth birthday she had acquired Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, German, Latin, and probably a few more languages, as she was referred to as the "Walking Polyglot".
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Anthony Burgess
(More Than 10 languages)
February 25, 1917 - November 22, 1993
English writer, knew Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Persian and Swedish well and spoke English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Malay and Welsh fluently. |
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Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (More Than 17 languages)
June 28, 1921 - December 23, 2004
12th Prime Minister of India. Rao was said to speak 17 languages, including Urdu, Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, Telugu and English with fluency akin to a native speaker. |
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Paul Robeson
(More Than 20 languages)
April 9, 1898 - January 23, 1976
Robeson was born in Princeton, NJ. American actor, athlete, singer, writer, and political and civil rights activist. He was conversant in over 20 languages, including his native English, as well as Yiddish, Russian, German, Welsh, Spanish and several African languages.
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Jose Rizal
(More Than 22 languages)
June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896
Filipino polymath, nationalist and the most prominent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during Spanish colonial era and its eventual independence from Spain. José Rizal, eye surgeon and national hero of the Philippines, is said to have known 22 languages including Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Malay, Sanskrit, Spanish, Cebuano and other Philippine dialects in addition to his own Tagalog.
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Cardinal Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti
(More Than 38 languages)
September 17, 1774 - March 15, 1849
Italian ecclesiast, is reported to have spoken thirty-eight languages and fifty dialects fluently. He never left Italy and yet managed to learn how to speak languages without accent. People from all over the world came to challenge him in their native tongue. They all reported their amazement at this man's fluency. Languages included English, Welsh, Scottish, German, Hungarian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldee, Coptic, Ancient Armenian, Persian, Turkish, Maltese, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Flemish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Chinese, Georgian, Bulgarian, Japanese and more...
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Ziad Youssef Fazah
(More Than 58 languages)
June 10, 1954 - Present
Reputed to be the world's most accomplished hyperpolyglot. It is said that he speaks, reads and understands 58 languages, most of which learned before the age of 20. Languages include Albanian, German, Amárico, Arab, Armenian, Azerbaijanęs, Bengali, Birmanęs, Bulgarian, Butanęs, Cambodian, Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Chinese Xangai, Cingalęs, Cingaporenho, Korean, Danish, Dzonka, Spanish, Finnish, French, Fuchin, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Dutch, Hungarian, Indonesian, English, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Swahili, Laosiano, Malay, Malgaxe, Mongolian, Nepalese, Norwegian, Papiamento, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Pashto, Quirguiz, Romanian, Russian, Serbian-Croatian, Swedish, Tadjique, Thai, Czech, Tibetan, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbequistanęs, Vietnamese.
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