Languages
Besides English and probably Scots or Scots Gaelic, Scotty was fluent in German, Afrikaans and an unknown number of Bushmen languages, and possibly also in a few of the other native Southern African languages. Yet another story told about him is that when an unexpected police patrol paid him a visit, he would ask to be allowed to hold "huisgodsdiens" (Afrikaans for home religious service) for his servants. He conducted these services in Bushmen language, and in full view of the policemen, who could not understand a word, he gave detailed instructions to his servants on how to hide anything that he did not want the policemen to see or find. It is said that the policemen never suspected a thing.
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Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“The less sophisticated of my forbears avoided foreigners at all costs, for the very good reason that, in their circles, speaking in tongues was commonly a prelude to snake handling. The more tolerant among us regarded foreign languages as a kind of speech impediment that could be overcome by willpower.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)
“No doubt, to a man of sense, travel offers advantages. As many languages as he has, as many friends, as many arts and trades, so many times is he a man. A foreign country is a point of comparison, wherefrom to judge his own.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)