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CAPT Rolf W. Steyn, MC, USN

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1972;27(2):245-247.

Abstract
The adult's mastery and usage of several languages entails phenomena of medical-particularly neurologic and psychiatric-import. This review depicts psychopathologic features of polyglottism, including potential eruption of panic in early stages of an adult's acquisition of a new tongue (incipient bilingualism) and useless construction of complex, artificial but "true" languages by certain bright psychotics and psychopaths. The often sparing effects of polyglottism on malcommunication of dysphasics and schizophrenics are described. Finally, benefits and detriments of polyglottism in psychotherapy are noted. Despite much basic research in polyglottism done in linguistics and psychology with healthy subjects the medical-particularly the neurologic and psychiatric-literature, is to a great extent limited to descriptions of isolated cases of polyglot aphasics, psychotics, and psychiatric patients. More systematic clinical research is needed.

Author Affiliations
Bethesda, Md

From the Department of Psychiatry, US Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Md. Captain Steyn is now with the Neuropsychiatry Service, Naval Hospital, Oakland, Calif.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Feb 11, 1972.

The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private ones of the author and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery of the Navy Department, or the naval service at large.

Reprint requests to Neuropsychiatry Service, Naval Hospital, Oakland, Calif 94627 (CAPT Steyn).