multilingualist
|mul-ti-lin-gual-ist|
/ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪst/
person of many languages
Etymology
'multilingualist' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'multi-' (from Latin 'multus' meaning 'many'), the root 'lingu-' from Latin 'lingua' meaning 'tongue, language', and the agentive suffix '-ist' (from Greek/Latin) meaning 'one who practices or is concerned with'.
'multilingualist' was created by adding the suffix '-ist' to the adjective 'multilingual' (itself from 'multi-' + 'lingual'), with 'lingual' tracing back to Latin 'lingua'. The compound formation is modern (19th–20th century usage patterns in English).
Originally elements like 'multilingual' described the quality 'relating to several languages'; as a noun with '-ist' the word came to refer specifically to a person who speaks, uses, or works with multiple languages.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who speaks or uses several languages.
She is a multilingualist who speaks five languages fluently.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
someone who studies, advocates, or professionally works with multilingualism (e.g., in education, translation, or research).
As a multilingualist in language education, he develops curricula for bilingual schools.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/29 04:30