# Are there really language identifiers out there?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-really-language-identifiers-out-there/644504>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 19, 2012, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-really-language-identifiers-out-there/644504 "2012-12-19T08:59:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-really-language-identifiers-out-there/644504/61 "2012-12-21T05:16:05Z")

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> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> How the heck does someone who is monolingual in Irish end up in Chicago? Actually, how the heck does someone who is monolingual in Irish end up in Ireland? Yes, there are people whose first language is Irish. But monolingual in Irish? That would be as difficult as finding a Netherlander who didn’t speak English.

Ah they exist. My little 5 year old cousin, for one, has been raised entirely through Irish. She’ll probably learn English eventually but she’s for now monolingual in Irish. There are also people on the other end, elderly folk who never got around to achieving any sort of proper fluency in English but they’re rarer every year.

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**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-really-language-identifiers-out-there/644504/62 "2012-12-21T05:17:45Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Since you bring it up, no it wouldn’t. It would be much easier to find someone in the Netherlands who didn’t speak English than to find someone in Ireland who didn’t.

I wouldn’t say that. I have customers every day in my store who can’t really speak English. None of them were born in Ireland though.

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**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-really-language-identifiers-out-there/644504/63 "2012-12-21T05:42:15Z")

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> [@orcenio](#):
>
> If such a person is able to protest you he can understand you and gives away his origin too. Testing him covertly just becomes as simple as cursing at him (or something else similarly inflammatory) in various languages until he reacts back. A little help is needed, but it can still be done.

Tangential: reminds me of the opening sequence in “Men in Black”, when Kay’s talking to the illegal immigrants in Spanish, then starts insulting and threatening one (still in Spanish) who fails to react appropriately.

Turns out that guy WAS an illegal immigrant, just from a LOT farther away. 😉

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