1322: Kidnapping and Intercontinental Interpretation Jul 25, 2018

Some of the earliest linguistic observation was by missionaries, but some of the earliest intercontinental communication was by kidnappers. The likes of Columbus—who brought with him an Arabic interpreter—and Cortéz, when they first made contact in the Americas, would have had to use drawings and ad hoc gestures, but since it takes a long time to learn a language, especially one with no relation whatsoever, it would be a lengthy process to learn the language form anyone. However, for children, this process took slightly less time, and children would probably be less resistant in general, so all of these early explorers and conquerors tended to kidnap a local child who would soon act as an interpreter for the linguistic area. This was especially useful in Mesoamerica wherein one language could be spoken over a large region, and it is because of the success of these interpreters who could communicate with many tribes that the region was conquered so quickly and totally.

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