Before There Was Google Translate, There Was John Bowring

Some people are good with words. John Bowring was good with all the words. No, really. Not just his own words, but practically every word ever spoken in any language ever.

Bowring (1792–1872) was a British polyglot, politician, economist, and all-around overachiever who made the rest of us feel inadequate simply by existing. His claim to fame? He could communicate in around 200 languages and had a working knowledge of 100 more. That’s right—while most of us are patting ourselves on the back for remembering how to say “Where’s the bathroom?” in Spanish, Bowring was out here casually conjugating verbs in languages most of us haven’t even heard of.

A Walking, Talking, Dictionary… in 300+ Editions

John Bowring’s brain must have been an utterly fascinating piece of machinery. It’s one thing to speak a few languages fluently, but to be able to read, write, and even translate poetry in over 200 languages? That takes some next-level mental gymnastics. We suspect that if Ithkuil had been around in those days, he would have become fluent in the world’s most complicated language.

His skill was so impressive that even Queen Victoria took notice. She appointed him as the Governor of Hong Kong, where he promptly proved that a vast knowledge of languages doesn’t necessarily come with an equal measure of diplomatic finesse. His tenure was, shall we say, problematic, and his enthusiasm for free trade ended up nudging Britain toward the Second Opium War.

How do you say, “oops” in 300 languages?

Bowring’s Brain: A Marvel of Memory

If you’re wondering how a person even begins to learn that many languages, it turns out Bowring’s memory was, to put it mildly, superhuman. He had one of those photographic, recall-everything-you’ve-ever-seen kinds of brains. If he read a book in a new language, chances were, he had it committed to memory faster than you can irritate a waiter by mispronouncing a word on a menu in a French restaurant.

His linguistic obsession wasn’t just for show. He spent much of his life translating poetry and literature from various cultures, introducing the Western world to works they otherwise might never have encountered. His translations of Hungarian, Dutch, Spanish, and Russian poetry were especially notable. You can see one of his projects, Servian Popular Poetry, here.

Bowring vs. the World’s Hardest Languages

Most language learners struggle with the usual suspects—Mandarin’s tones, Arabic’s script, or Japanese’s kanji nightmare. But Bowring? He tackled them all and then some. Some of the hardest languages in the world, like Basque (which has no known relatives), Navajo (used as a military code because it’s so complex), and Finnish (where the grammar alone can make grown linguists cry), wouldn’t have fazed him.

His ability to process and retain linguistic structures across wildly different language families remains one of the most impressive intellectual feats in history.

A Man of Many Titles

Beyond his linguistic prowess, Bowring was also a Member of Parliament, an advocate for political reform, and a hymn writer. If you’ve ever heard the hymn “In the Cross of Christ I Glory”, you have him to thank for that.

Almost thankfully, he showed that he wasn’t brilliant at everything he attempted. As we mentioned, his political and diplomatic career was far less successful. His economic theories were bold, but his ability to apply them in real-world governance was less than stellar. One can’t help but wonder if he intentionally flubbed this part of his legacy just so the rest of us wouldn’t feel as if we were complete morons.

The Takeaway

John Bowring wasn’t just multilingual; he was a linguistic legend and a literary powerhouse. His political acumen didn’t rise to the same level as his other accomplishments, but his brain could probably out-Google Google, and his ability to master difficult languages remains unparalleled.

So, the next time you struggle to remember the difference between “who” and “whom,” just be glad you aren’t trying to parse 300 languages at once. That was a job for John Bowring, and he made it look easy.

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