The Ten Most Impressive Polyglots In World History

Polyglotism is the ability to speak several languages with a high degree of proficiency. There is no consensus on exactly how many languages a person has to speak to be a polyglot. One could say 'four or more,' since speakers of two or three languages are commonly called bilingual and trilingual, respectively.

Throughout history, a few intrepid language enthusiasts have taken on the challenge of learning not one or two but dozens of languages. A few have even purportedly mastered as many as 100 distinct languages and dialects. Learn more about a few of these astonishing language learners, who just might inspire you to step up your own language learning game.