h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Say, Ottox- what's Poliglota? I've spotted that word on a Cell-phone box today, and remembered your viva polyglot thing.
So what is it?
Elly

i've heard it used in reference to multi-cultural, as in backgrounds. i was very young at the time, but i seem to remember my grandmother saying something about americans being polyglots because there is almost no pure heritage over here.
in a bbc context it could refer to something multi-lingual.

I use it as the name of the place where we used to talk "foreign" languages (http://www.bb.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A271379), and yes, it means multi-lingual.
Poly = many and glot, glotta, glossa = language.
It can also mean a mixture or confusion of languages, but I can't find broelans explanation in any of my dictionaries.

Reposting with a correct link:

I use it as the name of the place where we used to talk "foreign"
languages (http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A271379), and yes, it means
multi-lingual.
Poly = many and glot, glotta, glossa = language.
It can also mean a mixture or confusion of languages, but I can't find
broelans explanation in any of my dictionaries.

well, like i said, i was very young, and grandma was teaching us one of the slavic languages at the time, so i may have misunderstood her. i think she called us her little polyglots, and i thought it was because our family is from several different areas of europe. as it turns out she meant it because she was attempting to teach us another language.

thanks ottox

I don't say you're wrong, just that I don't know. It's your language, I won't try to teach you!

Well, Broelan's explenation is quite valid- if people from different countries marry eachother, their cultures mix, and a big part of culture is language.
Thanx for the explanations, both of you!