Linguistician -- Sic transit gloria mundi

[Mark Odegard]

>From: Rudolph C Troike The term was tossed about as a solution to the
>perennial problem of being introduced as a "linguist", and being asked "how
>many languages do you speak", and having to explain that you only speak
>English but analyze half a dozen languages the inquirer never heard of,
>including several dead ones. But it was never seriously adopted by anyone,
>to my knowledge.

Context almost always tells you what is meant. You don't call a historical
linguist 'an accomplished linguist' (even tho' she/he indeed may speak
several languages as a native). If she's a serious scholar, you'll indicate
he's into linguistics, and not into speaking foreign languages well.
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