Cardinal Mezzofanti, the great poliglot

[Breogan]

Joseph Caspar Mezzofanti (1774-1849) was an Italian Cardinal who spoke more than 38 languages 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.



http://how-to-learn-any-language.com...phy/index.html

[Carnyx]

You're certainly not going to appreciate what I've to say but... It is said you can speak any languages when you're possessed by the devil. Sure, I only report what some religious say.

38 languages, it's literally amazing. I wish I had his gift...

[Breogan]

You're right, speaking modern or ancient languages is considered a prove of being possessed. Taking into account the possessed has not studied them before, of course . This is not the case, this man was studying all the time, and it seems he had photographic memory for such a virtue. Besides he had a natural skill for "linguistic" intelligence. We must consider him a genius of languages, just like Mozart in Music, Michelangelo in Sculpture, Alexandrus in military tactics and so on.

[Austrvegr]

I find it hard to believe that a person can learn to speak dozens of foreign languages fluently without help from above (or below). Well, you can learn basic words and rules of grammar, it's a matter of months or even weeks, if you have nothing else to do, but there is a lot lot more, like correct combinations of words, idioms, and all that, and it's a matter of years. I am now learning my 7th foreign language, and feel almost exhausted.