THE WORLD'S CHAMPION LINGUIST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 184, 25 July 1908, Page 4

THE WORLD'S CHAMPION LINGUIST.

•Miss Mary T. Colton, an American woman, is said to be the champion linguist of the world. Miss Colton speaks forty languages fluently—that is, she has a conversational and reading knowledge of each, and has also made a careful study of the religions and philosophy hi which each of the different tongues and dialects is spoken. Previous to Miss C'oltou's ucd record the most accomplished linguist known claimed a knowledge of only thirty-three languages. Miss Colton'* list, moreover, includes a long list of different tongues which are numbered amongst the most difficult m the world to learn, and which includes Chinese, Pali, Avcstan, Sanskrit, Hebrew, Syrian, Assyrian, Arabic, and Persian While this now famous American woman was following the humble occupation of a vocal teacher at a seminary for girls a number of years ago, she first "became interested in the Oriental language through having been brought in contact with seVeral pupils from the Fur East. Her interest soon became a passion, and since then she has devoted all her time to the acquisition of the different tongues. Many years ago she became a fluent user of the romance languages, such as Italian, Spanish, and French? The greatest tribute to her wonderful memory lies in the fact that, the roots of Hie numerous Eastern lauminr'cs are all entirely different from those of the Western tongues. In the ; present-day colleges throughout the' world separate courses are held in such languages as Hebrew. Sanskrit, and Persian, and to obtain a working knowledge in' any single one is considered a difficult task.