A hyperpolyglot is one who can speak six or more languages fluently. The term was coined by the linguist Richard Hudson in 2003 and derives from the word "polyglot", meaning one who can speak multiple languages.
There are several theories as to why some people can easily learn many different languages, while others only ever learn two or three. For example, the neuroscientist Katrin Amunts studied the brain of hyperpolyglot Emil Krebs and determined that the area of Krebs' brain responsible for language—Broca's area—was organized differently than in monolingual men. On the other hand, the neurolinguist Lorain Obler has correlated hyperpolyglotism with the Geschwind-Galaburda cluster , a high coincidence of left-handedness, homosexuality, auto-immune disorders, learning disorders and talents in art, mathematics and, possibly, languages. The linguist Richard Sproat has also shown evidence that hyperpolyglotism might be a heritable trait.
Some notable hyperpolyglots include Sir Richard F. Burton (1821–1890), the cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti (1774–1849), Sir John Bowring (1792–1872), and the linguistics professor Kenneth Hale (1934–2001).
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