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Only people who speak more languages or that feel like their intellect is somehow under threat by you claiming the title will try to gatekeep you from using it, so don't worry.
Edit: Also, you're not a polyglot because that would make me look bad. Have a nice day.
Just by origin of the word polyglot means you have many tongues. Tongues is of course well established as a stand-in for languages. If you can speak more than one, you fall under the definition.
I think people have attached more to the term than just that though. I'm thinking of well traveled and culturally sensitive as well. Somebody who would be alright no matter where you dropped them.
How many languages can your better half say good morning in? She might just be trying to pay you a compliment and you with your humilis gloriatio are not having it. In any case, I wouldn't recommend going back to her with arguments obtained from a random group of internet users to settle your interpersonal disagreement.
A polyglot is anyone who speaks way more languages than you feel comfortable with. /j
And the amount of languages grows by one each time I learn a new one
I think the title of polyglot is just silly. I speak 4 languages fluently but I would never introduce myself as a polyglot.
Honestly, I only speak two languages, and to me, someone like you is definitely a polyglot. I get that you don’t wanna sound full of yourself or anything, but calling it what it is isn’t arrogant—it’s just being accurate. You speak four languages! That’s amazing, and you should own it. I'm bilingual, and sure, my native language is stronger, but that doesn’t mean I downplay the other one. Give yourself some credit, seriously.
This is true not many people can say they can speak so many languages.
The thing is, it doesn't matter how many languages you speak somehow you end up not being able to communicate anyway because of the language. Some anecdotal evidence:
I speak Polish, German, Swedish and English. Me and my siblings went to Morocco for vacation, my sister was vegetarian and we wanted to order something without meat. The guy at the street food stand didn't understand and then he asked: Do you speak Arabic? No, Do you speak Spanish? No, do you at least speak French? Also no. None of the languages helped even tho the other guy also spoke 3 languages.
After speaking 4 languages fluently I moved to Korea thinking it'll be easy to pick up another language. After 4 years of living here I still can't even have a very simple conversation. The language is so different that even after trying hard and spending money and time the learning doesn't move forward. And me working from home mostly with Europeans makes it even more difficult, but I can't get a local job without the language, chicken and egg problem.
Every language is good to know, and I kind of agree with my grandfather that every language is like another hand you have to disposal, but somehow you end up in situations that even 6 hands are not enough ;)
Agreed! What language do you speak that’s not English? :)