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May 6, 2005

Strange But True!

Q. Polyglots are people who speak, read or write several languages, and there are even a few hyperpolyglots. Just how hyper can a hyperpolyglot get?

A. Lomb Kato (1909-2003), a Hungarian translator and interpreter, spoke 17 foreign languages, says Michael Erard in "NewScientist" magazine. Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti (1774-1849) spoke 72 languages, 30 fluently. He "once learned a language overnight in order to hear the dawn confession of two condemned prisoners."


 
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