The Mystery of People Who Speak Dozens of Languages
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been intrigued by those who can speak more than one language – but fascinated by those who may speak dozens of languages … particularly when I’m still struggling with one.
More formally, these folks are called “Hyperpolyglots”. It’s been defined differently, but today it generally refers to someone who can speak at least 11 languages with fluency. One of the individuals in this article, The Mystery of People Who Speak Dozens of Languages, here is a list of the languages he can speak:
He has a command of twenty-two living languages (Spanish, Italian, Piedmontese, English, Mandarin, French, Esperanto, Portuguese, Romanian, Quechua, Shawi, Aymara, German, Dutch, Catalan, Russian, Hakka Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Guarani, Farsi, and Serbian), thirteen of which he speaks fluently. He also knows six classical or endangered languages: Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Shiwilu, Muniche, and Selk’nam, an indigenous tongue of Tierra del Fuego, which was the subject of his master’s thesis.
The article, The Mystery of People Who Speak Dozens of Languages, is a long one but super interesting.
You’ll even more amazed when you check out this brief summary, Who Are the Best Polyglots in History?
Why San Francisco’s Earthquake Risk Is Growing
Since I live in the Bay area, I wasn’t too happy to discover this video.
It’s 7 minutes long but an insightful video about some of the specific risks that homeowners, in particular, may face.
“A U.S. Geological Survey report says that there is more than a 70 percent chance that a 6.7 magnitude or higher earthquake will hit the Bay Area in the next 30 years. Here’s why San Francisco is not as ready as one may think when the next big earthquake hits.”
