“Wie viele Sprachen du sprichst, sooft mal bist du Mensch.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Translation: As many languages you know, as many times you are a human being.

Also attributed to Charles V, w:Pierre de Bourdeille and Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

Source: John G. Robertson "Robertson's Words for a Modern Age: A Cross Reference of Latin and Greek Combining Elements" https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=RFqlPtTSB2kC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Quot+linguas+calles,+tot+homines+vales.&source=bl&ots=EtA4qFqwbn&sig=C9citjpkEkL6ZjovF9_4_AQ1cCw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwji4ICXl5XRAhULESwKHRp9C6cQ6AEILjAC#v=onepage&q=Quot%20linguas%20calles%2C%20tot%20homines%20vales.&f=false

Source: Ralph H. Orth "Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume VI: 1824-1838" https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=tRkEF22PEKUC&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=Pierre+de+Bourdeille+%22Quot+linguas+calles,+tot+homines+vales%22&source=bl&ots=2sQJLK949I&sig=suLWcF0FCKwf5_J7rPscH0C5ru4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi53_uWmpXRAhXMhywKHY-TBDwQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=Pierre%20de%20Bourdeille%20%22Quot%20linguas%20calles%2C%20tot%20homines%20vales%22&f=false

Source: Český jazyk a literatura (Czech Language and Literature), Volume 56, Issues 1-5, p 54 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=x6hhAAAAMAAJ&q=Kolik+jazyk%C5%AF+zn%C3%A1%C5%A1,+tolikr%C3%A1t+jsi+%C4%8Dlov%C4%9Bkem.+masarykovo&dq=Kolik+jazyk%C5%AF+zn%C3%A1%C5%A1,+tolikr%C3%A1t+jsi+%C4%8Dlov%C4%9Bkem.+masarykovo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TQ4YT8mxEcPj4QSw89jIDQ&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ (2006): "Masaryk's "As many languages you know, as many times you are a human being" does not refer only to the ability to communicate in different languages, but also the ability to share in various spiritual spheres of different cultures."

Source: Example references: _sooft_mal_bist_du_Mensch. _J.W._Goethe.html http://blog.goethe.de/deutsch-wagen-tour/archives/1750-Wie_viele_Sprachen_du_sprichst,, http://www.radio.cz/de/rubrik/gesagt/wie-viele-sprachen-du-sprichst-sooft-mal-bist-du-mensch, http://www.szkola.misjonarki.pl/attachments/article/148/Wie%20viele%20Sprachen%20du%20sprichst%20konkurs%20gimnzjum.pdf.
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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 185

German writer, artist, and politician 1749–1832

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