polyglot
/ˈpɑlɪˌɡlɑt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.38 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages.
noun
A mixture of languages or nomenclatures.
noun
A file that can be interpreted validly as multiple formats.
noun
A program written to be valid in multiple programming languages.
adj
Of a person: speaking, or versed in, many languages; multilingual.
adj
Containing, or made up of, several languages; specifically, of a book (especially a bible): having text translated into several languages.
Example Sentences
- "[T]hose coming to the warehouses' doors fired them, and burned all the books and the pillars of the church, […] A great want thereof there will be of books, specially Latin books and foreign books; and, among others, the Polyglottes and new Bible, which he believes will be presently worth £40 a-piece."
- "But ſince that period the biblical apparatus has been much enriched by the publication of polyglots; […]"
- "Laſtly, a polyg[l]ot or good linguiſt may alſo be term'd a uſefull learned man, ſpecially if vers'd in School-languages."
- "If you are interested in polyglot file formats, take a look at the polyglot web page in the Corkami wiki. There are various example polyglots, including a PDF file that is also a valid HTML file with JavaScript, as well as a valid Windows PE executable."
- "'[T]is thought the two and twenty Languages which Mythrydates the great Polyglot King of Pontus did ſpeak, wer all within the circumference of Anatolia in regard his dominions extended but a little further: […]"
- "For this flyaway son of a Phœnician did not seem to wait for the decision of the polyglot Judges of the Emigration Board."
Etymology
PIE word *glōgʰs Borrowed from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), alternative form of Ancient Greek πολῠ́γλωσσος (polŭ́glōssos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), from πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s, “a lot of, many”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)) + Attic Greek γλῶττα (glôtta), Ancient Greek γλῶσσᾰ (glôssă, “tongue; language”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *glōgʰs (“tip of corn”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming o-grade action nouns). The English word is analysable as poly- + -glot. Noun sense 1 (“publication in several languages”) is probably derived from Late Latin polyglottus, from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos): see above.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɑlɪˌɡlɑt/
- British English: /ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
Synonyms
multilinguist
polyglotter
polyglottist
polylinguist
polyglotted
polyglottic
polylingual
polyglossic
polyglottal
polyglottish