Polyglots and Hyperpolyglots (Polyglots) Language Learning Forum

Polyglots and Hyperpolyglots
Tags: Hyperglot \| Foreign Languages \| Polyglot
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Language Learning Forum : Polyglots

28 messages over 4 pages: 1 2 3 4

portunhol
Triglot
Senior Member
United States
thelinguistblogger.w
Joined 6255 days ago
198 posts - 299 votes

Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese
Studies: German, Arabic (classical)

Message 25 of 28

08 April 2009 at 9:42pm | IP Logged

Iversen wrote:

It is difficult enough to agree on a definition for the word "polyglot". To add the term "hyperpolyglot" just makes the confusion worse. I'm not going to use it.

LittleKey wrote:

I won't be using it either. Like some people have said, we have enough trouble trying to set up a good definition for polyglot.

So we shouldn't have a word that distinguishes between a guy who knows two languages and a guy who has mastered fifteen? Even if you want to leave the definition vague, hyperpolyglot is about as understandable as polyglot. The word simply indicates what type of polyglot the person is.

Edited by portunhol on 08 April 2009 at 9:45pm
2 persons have voted this message useful

eoinda
Tetraglot
Senior Member
Sweden
Joined 5951 days ago
101 posts - 113 votes

Speaks: Swedish*, English, Spanish, Mandarin
Studies: French

Message 26 of 28

09 April 2009 at 4:38pm | IP Logged

portunhol wrote:

Iversen wrote:

It is difficult enough to agree on a definition for the word "polyglot". To
add the term "hyperpolyglot" just makes the confusion worse. I'm not going to use it.

LittleKey wrote:

I won't be using it either. Like some people have said, we have enough trouble trying to set
up a good definition for polyglot.

So we shouldn't have a word that distinguishes between a guy who knows two languages and a guy who has
mastered fifteen? Even if you want to leave the definition vague, hyperpolyglot is about as understandable
as polyglot. The word simply indicates what type of polyglot the person is.

We are already have words distinguishing weather someone know two or fifteen languages. The former i
bilingual or a diglot while the latter is a polyglot. Hyperpolyglot sounds stuck up to me and if you want to tell
people you're awesome it is better to give them an exact number anyway.
1 person has voted this message useful

portunhol
Triglot
Senior Member
United States
thelinguistblogger.w
Joined 6255 days ago
198 posts - 299 votes

Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese
Studies: German, Arabic (classical)

Message 28 of 28

09 April 2009 at 5:49pm | IP Logged

eoinda wrote:

I hear what you, and others who agree with you, are saying but I just can't agree based on the arguments you are presenting. I am obviously not contending that this word is valid so that it can be applied to me and my whopping three languages. In both good ways and bad, there are words we use all the time to describe others and never ourselves.

Should I not used the word genius and only describe Einstein and Edison as smart or clever? There are quite a few polyglots on this website but none of us touches what Mezzofanti and Emil Krebs were. Whatever your definition for the word polyglot may be, if you say hyperpolyglot you are obviously referring to someone with linguistic abilities that are superior to those who are polyglots just as you might say that Italy's soccer team looks good this year but Brazil's looks better.

Edited by portunhol on 09 April 2009 at 6:54pm

3 persons have voted this message useful

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