The Fascinating World of Multilingualism
Explore the fascinating world of multilingualism, where more than half the global population speaks at least two languages. Learn the meaning, history, and proper usage of the GRE vocabulary word ‘multilingual’ through engaging examples and insights.
Did you know that more than half of the world’s population speaks at least two languages? This fascinating fact brings us to today’s GRE vocabulary word: multilingual.
Word type: Multilingual is an adjective.
Meaning: Multilingual describes someone or something that uses or is able to use several languages.
Word history: The term multilingual comes from two parts. Multi is a prefix derived from Latin, meaning many or multiple.
Lingual comes from the Latin word lingua, meaning tongue or language. When combined, these elements form a word that literally means many languages.
Synonyms for multilingual include polyglot, which specifically refers to a person who knows several languages, and multlingual, an alternative spelling.
Other related terms are bilingual for two languages, and trilingual for three languages. Antonyms for multilingual would be monolingual, meaning capable of using only one language, or unilingual, which has the same meaning.
Let’s look at some examples of how to use multilingual in sentences. In our globalized world, multilingual employees are increasingly valued by international companies.
The conference provided multilingual interpreters to ensure all attendees could fully participate. Switzerland is famously multilingual, with four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
When it comes to common errors in use, people sometimes confuse multilingual with bilingual. Remember, bilingual specifically refers to two languages, while multilingual implies three or more.
Another mistake is using multilingual to describe a single language. For example, it would be incorrect to say English is a multilingual language.
Instead, you could say English is a global language. Understanding and correctly using words like multilingual can significantly boost your performance on the GRE verbal section.
It demonstrates a nuanced grasp of language and can help you navigate complex reading passages and sentence completion questions with greater ease.
