captain_spalding said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

that Luis de Torres was chosen by Columbus as an interpreter for his first trip to the West in 1492.

Interpreter?

How does that work?

The bingbot knows of course:

Due to his fluency in multiple languages

Luis de Torres could have served as an interpreter for Christopher Columbus due to his fluency in multiple languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, and Portuguese. Columbus, who anticipated reaching eastern civilizations, sought interpreters with knowledge of these languages to facilitate communication with local Jewish traders and possibly the “Great Khan” of Asia. De Torres’s conversion to Christianity before the voyage allowed him to participate in the expedition, as non-Christians were barred from the crew. His linguistic expertise was crucial for Columbus’s exploratory ventures, as it enabled him to navigate the complexities of the New World and communicate effectively with diverse populations

Also, you never know who else the people you encounter might have met, and what they might have learnt from them.

I know of a British chap who became lost in North Africa (vehicle breakdown, or similar).

He was on his last legs when he met an old Arab man, on a donkey or camel, can’t remember which.

The British bloke knew no Arabic, the Arab knew no English.

But, they both knew enough French to be able to communicate.

OK, but I’m pretty sure that nobody native to N America in 1492 could speak French.

Or even Latin.