9 famous people in history who spoke several languages

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  • Опубликовано: 27 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 68

  • @user-hb9mz2hp2g
    @user-hb9mz2hp2g 2 дня назад +8

    I will add another person: Pope John Paul II - he spoke 7 foreign languages fluently and in 4 other could speak.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      Good one.

    • @PabloLu777
      @PabloLu777 2 дня назад +1

      Polish Pope was also famous of speaking at least some sentences to People in their Local language, during his Many journeys 😊

  • @brummiebluenoseburns6517
    @brummiebluenoseburns6517 2 дня назад +2

    Well said. my friend. Enoch also spoke Punjabi ,and fought for bus drivers in Birmingham to ware the turban . And you are so right to warn Ben. RESPECT!!

  • @gwilwilliams5831
    @gwilwilliams5831 2 дня назад +2

    Regretfully I can only speak English and German. I can however understand Welsh, French and Italian sufficiently well to enjoy radio and TV programmes in those languages. Recently I’ve started to learn Latin. I think that’s due to your influence. Maybe one could argue that the variety of German spoken in Switzerland is a separate language . I think could pick it up if I lived there and also Dutch if I lived in the Netherlands. Languages are fascinating. One time I found myself having to act as interpreter to a couple of Scotsmen; one was a Glaswegian and the other an Aberdonian. Lots of great videos lately! Diolch y galon.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      Croeso. Having German and English is more than many English speakers have. Enjoy having both worlds!

  • @michaelstamper5604
    @michaelstamper5604 2 дня назад +2

    Ptolemaic - Tol-uh-may-ick
    Hope that helps.

  • @wellesmorgado4797
    @wellesmorgado4797 3 дня назад +2

    Pedro II of Brazil spoke fluently 7 languages, including Tupi (brazilian indigenous language), and could read another 5. He was never happy as an emperor. He would rather have been a scientist, or a teacher. That was his true calling.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  3 дня назад +1

      Good shout. And Brazil does have a long tapestry of linguistic variation!

  • @GhyuRtyu
    @GhyuRtyu День назад +1

    I speak Arabic somali Spanish and Russian fluently

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  День назад

      What a unique combination!

    • @GhyuRtyu
      @GhyuRtyu День назад

      @BenLlywelyn thank you

  • @fivantvcs9055
    @fivantvcs9055 2 дня назад +2

    Passionating subject !

  • @Claudiu_Dumitru
    @Claudiu_Dumitru 2 дня назад

    Greetings Ben. And thank you for another video.
    I am romanian, born/raised and still living in Romania, Transylvania to be more precise. To me, learning hungarian wasn't even a challenge, I grew up with hungarian-speaking kids, now it's like a second language. French, as it was mandatory since second grade, and being close to romanian, turned up to be an easy pick, as well. German, well... hard to crack but I still can handle myself.
    Some russian, I can read, write but my vocabulary is lacking, and I'm not planning on improving that. Turkish... that could be an easy achievement, considering the strong hungarian base already available. Once you have the roots of a language, you can master it. My worst challenges were danish and arabic. We all have a limit, eh?
    Thank you for your videos, if you could do a series on aramaic/hebrew I would be most grateful.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад

      Thank you. In the future I want to do work on Hebrew, certainly. But I have a lot more work to do on that.

  • @Haggis984
    @Haggis984 3 дня назад

    Another great video. Just wondering, do you think you will ever learn any of the Goidelic languages, also are you planning on making any video for focus on the Goidelic Languages?

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  3 дня назад +1

      Thank you. I toyed around with Scots Gaelic a while back, and have learned a bit of Old Irish for studies. I may do some Scots Gaelic in the future, but I do not know. Welsh is my Celtic Language, and I want to move on to bigger languages for a change.

    • @Haggis984
      @Haggis984 3 дня назад

      @@BenLlywelyn that's cool, i love your videos and your channel is so unique i can't wait to see what you have planned next.

  • @tonyhelliar3719
    @tonyhelliar3719 2 дня назад

    A mention for singer Petula Clark who is fluent in French and as well as English has recorded songs in Italian, German and Spanish and has a strong knowledge of those languages. Also Irish singer Enya, who records in English, Irish, Latin as well as invented literary fantasy languages.
    I believe Enoch Powell learned Urdu to easily communicate with the large number of Pakistani origin constituents he had in Wolverhampton.

  • @robertberger4203
    @robertberger4203 День назад

    In Russian, the name Vladimir is pronounced vla- DEE-mir , with the stress on the middle syllable . One of the most difficult features of Russian is its extremely unpredictable stress patterns . The stress can fall on any syllable of a word, often where you least expect it .

  • @MrAllmightyCornholioz
    @MrAllmightyCornholioz 3 дня назад +1

    French and Welsh? I'd love to hear you dip your toes in Breton one day.
    Also Jackie Chan speaking Welsh would be awesome!

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  3 дня назад

      Jackie Chan in Welsh would be psychedelic.

    • @jansoltes971
      @jansoltes971 2 дня назад

      @@BenLlywelyn AI can do that for you! 😉

  • @bepivisintainer2975
    @bepivisintainer2975 2 дня назад

    Ben. You mention Lombard! It means a lot to a native speaker of a neglected and looked down upon minority language as Lombard, that you did it. Ta a lot)
    Another amazing video.
    diolch yn fawr iawn.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      If you would do voice overs for this language in a video about it, email me.

    • @bepivisintainer2975
      @bepivisintainer2975 20 часов назад

      @@BenLlywelyn sure. I'd love to help. Where do I get your email?

  • @TaiTai-mm7tr
    @TaiTai-mm7tr 2 дня назад

    Herbert Lewis Hardwick aka Cocoa Kid was a boxer from the 40s spoke multiple languages , So did Ezzard Charles . Some of my inspirations to learn multiple languages

  • @Hoppi1001
    @Hoppi1001 2 дня назад

    I'm from Turkey. Fatih Sultan Mehmet, also known as Mehmed II or Mehmed the Conqueror would certainly make into this list as he spoke 7 languages.
    Turkish: As the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, he naturally spoke Ottoman Turkish, the administrative and literary language of the time. Ottoman Turkish was influenced by Persian and Arabic, with a significant vocabulary derived from both languages.
    Arabic: Arabic was the language of Islam, the religion of the Ottoman Empire. As a devout Muslim and ruler of a large Muslim empire, Sultan Mehmed II was proficient in Arabic, especially in its religious and scholarly contexts. His knowledge of Arabic was essential for reading Islamic texts, including the Quran and other religious works.
    Persian: Persian was an important cultural and literary language in the Ottoman Empire, especially for the elite and intellectual classes. Sultan Mehmed was well-versed in Persian, which was often used for poetry, literature, and diplomacy. Persian influence was particularly strong in the courts of the Ottoman Empire during his reign.
    Greek: Given his conquest of Constantinople and his deep connection with the former Byzantine Empire, Mehmed II was also proficient in Greek. This was crucial for his diplomatic efforts and for interacting with the Greek-speaking population of the Byzantine territories, as well as understanding the rich Byzantine heritage he inherited.
    Latin: Mehmed II's education also included Latin, which was the language of scholarship, law, and diplomacy in medieval Europe. Latin was used in the formal correspondence with European powers and in understanding classical texts, which were important for his intellectual pursuits.
    Italian: As part of his extensive diplomatic efforts, especially with the city-states of Italy like Venice and Genoa, Sultan Mehmed II learned Italian. This was particularly useful for diplomatic negotiations and trade relations, as Italian was a common language for commerce and diplomacy in Renaissance Europe.
    Other Languages: Some historical sources suggest that Mehmed II may have had a working knowledge of other languages such as Serbian and Slavonic, as he interacted with various Slavic-speaking peoples in the Balkans, which were part of the Ottoman Empire.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      What a complete grouping of languages to have. To be able to travel from Milan to the borders of India and speak with people the whole way!

  • @gergelybakos2159
    @gergelybakos2159 2 дня назад

    Magnificent! Diolch yn fawr! I'm glad you included E. Powell--accidentally offering him a (linguistic) apology...:) A friendly note: Transylvanian Saxon is (and was) more similar to Flemish/Dutch or Luxembourgish, than literary German. So in order to be precise I would call it just that, i.e. Transylvanian Saxon.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад

      Thank you for clarifying Transylvanian Saxon.

  • @antonyreyn
    @antonyreyn 2 дня назад

    My vote is for Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, he could speak 30 Languages but also found time to discover the source of the Nile, translate Eastern classics, Spy in India, British ambassador in Brazil, search for minerals in Iceland, a book on sword fighting, stop a massacre in Damascus, kidnap the wrong Nun, carried on fighting with a Spear embedded in his Jaw, oh and was probably a source for Bram Stoker's description of Dracula.
    Cheers from Mercia.
    ps first non Muslim to enter Mecca

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      That is a good one. His biography must be wild.

  • @ChristineSmith-g2g
    @ChristineSmith-g2g 2 дня назад

    Thanks for the forecast! Could you help me with something unrelated: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How can I transfer them to Binance?

  • @Abcdefg_h62dzz
    @Abcdefg_h62dzz 2 дня назад

    What about Dante Alighieri? He spoke provencal, italian, latin and, if I am not wrong, even french

  • @frankboulton2126
    @frankboulton2126 2 дня назад

    You forgot to mention Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus, a polygot of epic stature.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      He would be a good one. See the Dacia in Rome's Civil Wars video where I mention him.

    • @frankboulton2126
      @frankboulton2126 День назад

      @@BenLlywelyn Thank you. Interesting video. I'm interested in the languages of the Caucasus and Pontus. Linguists are very interested in the modern Pontic dialect of Greece, because it retains many features of Ancient Greek. Speakers of standard modern Greek find it virtually impossible to understand.

  • @willinnewhaven3285
    @willinnewhaven3285 3 дня назад +2

    LOL @ your statement that Powell was right

  • @francoisegregyi233
    @francoisegregyi233 3 дня назад

    Cardinal Mezzofanti, head of the Vatican library, lived in the 19th century, spoke 40 languages and understood 60 others. See Wikipedia about him.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      Must not of spent much time with women.

    • @francoisegregyi233
      @francoisegregyi233 2 дня назад

      @@BenLlywelyn Of course not, he was celibate!

  • @yuribliman8999
    @yuribliman8999 2 дня назад

    Belarusian is a language I never learned but I speak it quite well. My mother tongues are Russian and Ukrainian and I grew up in the northern part of Ukraine at the border with Belarus. Belarusian and Ukrainian are highly mutually intelligible languages and it wasn't hard for me to figure it out by simply listening and reading in Belarussian. Living in the one big empire, we all spoke Russian but in rural areas, people still spoke their native languages. I also speak German ein bisschen. For some time I lived in Germany at the border with the Netherlands, I used to go to Eindhoven on weekends. Dutch is very close to English and German, but unfortunately, I didn't pick up some Dutch. Can't say I tried hard, tho. Most Dutch people I met spoke English.

    • @colinmacdonald5732
      @colinmacdonald5732 2 дня назад

      I've heard that if you speak English underwater it comes out as Dutch.

    • @yuribliman8999
      @yuribliman8999 День назад

      @@colinmacdonald5732 And if you speak Swedish with potato in your mouth it comes out like Danish. Close languages -- different pronunciations. Same goes for Ukrainian and Polish. Just switch potato to varenyk/pierog.

    • @GhyuRtyu
      @GhyuRtyu День назад

      @@yuribliman8999 I speak Arabic somali Spanish and Russian fluently

  • @ginojaco
    @ginojaco 2 дня назад +4

    Entirely right regarding Enoch Powell, a good, decent and brilliant man; but prepare yourself for a lot of flack from those who prefer their prejudices over demonstrable fact. 👍

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад +1

      Thank you for your patience and undstanding.

  • @christopherellis2663
    @christopherellis2663 2 дня назад

    Greetings from România

  • @frankboulton2126
    @frankboulton2126 2 дня назад

    Madison, Cleopatra and probably Enoch Powell would have spoke Biblical Hebrew. I used to teach Biblical languages.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад

      It is an incredibly abundant and expressive language.

  • @JB-wh9ux
    @JB-wh9ux 3 дня назад +1

    Țepeș: Tsepesh

  • @christopherellis2663
    @christopherellis2663 3 дня назад

    6:27 indeed, une culte... Marx was inspired by his crystal ball

  • @Balthazare69
    @Balthazare69 3 дня назад

    16:10 words (language) are unnecessary 😂😂😂 By the way (RHCP), Đoković can speak also more that five languages (I can bearly speak my own 😂😂😂)

  • @Sungawakan
    @Sungawakan 3 дня назад

    Mexican flag for Spanish. Blasphemy. ;-)

  • @jansoltes971
    @jansoltes971 2 дня назад

    Can you guess my view of the world and political alliances? 😄 My foreign languages: English, German (C1), Russian, Spanish (B2), Mandarin (A2/B1), Persian (A2). My mother tongue: Slovak. I also understand Polish and Serbo-Croatian much better than my compatriots (I´ve been exposed to them ​​and, to a lesser extent, I have also actively studied them - can follow political discussions in Polish, for example). I would also like to learn some other languages like Quechua or Georgian.
    Seriously, the fact that Engels spoke Irish really caught my attention. I did a quick search on Wikipedia and apparently he was involved with the Burns sisters, both of whom were active in the Irish nationalist movement. Although they were born in Manchester, they likely spoke Irish. I thought Engels might have learned Irish from them, but then I found this article by Kaan Kangal: "Marx and Engels as Polyglots". It says: "...Engels was also studying Dutch, Frisian, Celtic, and Irish by the end of the 1860s, the last one of which was particularly important to understanding older kinship relations, customs, and legal structures in northern Europe." This guy was remarkable in his efforts.
    On the other hand, multilingualism is not that rare. Let's take the Roma in the south of my country, Slovakia. Some of them speak Romani (mother tongue), Hungarian (widely spoken along the southern border where ethnic Hungarians live), Slovak (official language, school) and English (if they lived or possibly still live in the UK). So some of them speak 4 quite different (!) languages ​​even though they may have only finished primary school.

    • @BenLlywelyn
      @BenLlywelyn  2 дня назад

      You must have put a lot of work in to have Mandarin. As for Georgian or Quechua, I imagine Georgia is easier for you to get to. Thnk you for watching.

    • @jansoltes971
      @jansoltes971 2 дня назад

      @BenLlywelyn Still working on Mandarin - no pain, no gain.
      You could talk about the work and time you put into your videos! Many thanks for your effort! Gonna get you some coffee - you can’t drink “Thank you.” 😉