“She did not want to break his heart
So she spoke in a tongue apart
Lil did she know that lingo didn’t goal!
Cause that was da one closest to his soul!”
There are some people in the world and I would like to add myself in that list who know and speak more than three languages and they are called Polyglots!
Officially a polyglot is someone who has a deep love for languages, and is able to speak, use, and understand several of them. The term “polyglot” is often used to describe people who can speak more than three languages. If you speak two languages you’re bilingual, if you speak three you’re trilingual. If you speak more, you may be considered a polyglot. Polyglots are certainly rare and interesting people: only about 3% of the world’s total population can speak four or more languages!
Polyglots are thus like superheroes or heroines for that matter!
So, many years back when I was in Kolkata, the OT assistant of my hospital had come from Chennai for a surgical workshop and he knew only Tamil! The people who helped him set up his equipments knew only Bangali! I used to help them out whenever I could since I knew both to an extent! But when I was not there, they used to communicate in; wait a moment…English!
Even in most international trips to exotic places where the local language is prevalent, all said and done, English is the mode of communication! Luckily no country in the world can actually claim it to be theirs truly so it is for now a universal language!
Now I can speak and understand English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Sanskrit and now Arabic! I can also understand many words of Marathi and Gujarati!
But when a Keralite comes to me I do speak in Malayalam but I tell them that I am a Tamilian! When a Tamilian comes then I do speak Tamil but I tell them that I am from Bangalore! This is because if I tell a malayalee that I am from Palakkad and I speak my accented Malayalam he or she would actually think that I speak bad malayalam in spite of being a Keralite! But if he or she thinks that I am from Tamil Nadu and still speak good Malayalam then he or she would be impressed with my language skills and more importantly be happy that I am making that extra effort to understand him or her!
That is the power of expectations! It is always better to lower expectations!
Being a Polyglot is like having a super power! Specially for a doctor since you can actually understand what the patient is trying to to say or feel in his or her own language! Lots of emotions are usually lost in translation!
I still remember this news item of a reporter who was delivering news in four different languages and that was a great feat indeed!
One of the most famous Polyglots of India was the great PM Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao! He had wide interests in a variety of subjects (other than politics) such as literature and computer software (including computer programming). He spoke 17 languages!
Now that is a big number but Polyglots love to learn new languages and this quest for leaning keeps them learning more and more! If knowing 17 languages shocked you then be prepared to learn that there was a person who knew 100!
If various sources are to be believed, the most proficient polyglot in human history would be Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong Kong between 1854-1859, who was reputed to know around 200 languages, among which he could communicate in 100 different languages! Of course now there are no video or audio records of him speaking so many languages but then even if the number is not 100, I am sure that it may be above 50 which is still an amazing feat!
Actually many polyglots like me have realised that after 3 or 4 languages, it is easier to learn a new language since many words are similar! Of course when you are tensed and busy sometimes, one language creeps into another when you speak which is why practice is important!
Once I spoke to a patient in Arabic and after five minutes, he said, “Maafi angrezi, fi Arabi?” Which means that he does not understand English, only Arabic! Which I thought I was speaking! I guess the accent was still not fine tuned! Without the proper accent it is difficult and you do become Jack of all languages but Master of only some!
As a polyglot, I love learning new languages! Language is a hobby and when you love it then you do not have any boundaries!
So my count is over 10 and PVNR is 17 while historically the most is over 100! But who is the current record holder?
Officially though you go through the web, the record to beat is not 100 but 59! Ziad Youssef Fazah is a Liberian-born Lebanese alleged polyglot. Fazah has claimed to speak 59 languages and maintains that he has proved this in several public appearances in which he supposedly communicated with native speakers of a large number of foreign languages! Of course some forms of English needs only a twist and you are there! Like you add some ‘Mate’ and lo! You are Australian! Which reminds me of the birthday celebrity of the day Christopher Hemsworth AM!
Now wish yourself Good night in the lingo of your choice!
I like to say Shubh ratri!
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