Soknyelvi

Soknyelvi is a Hungarian adjective derived from the words sok, meaning "many," and nyelv, meaning "language." It translates literally to "multilingual" and is used to describe people, processes, or systems that involve more than one language. The term is common in legal, educational, and technological contexts within Hungary and in Hungarian-speaking communities abroad.

In Hungarian law, soknyelvi refers to provisions that protect the language rights of minority groups. For example, the 1990s language reform expanded soknyelvi measures in public administration, allowing local governments to provide services in multiple official languages. This framework is intended to ensure equal access to information and participation regardless of linguistic background.

Educational institutions use soknyelvi to denote curricula that teach several languages concurrently. Soknyelvi programs are designed to foster linguistic competency while maintaining proficiency in the national language. They are often supported by multilingual teaching materials and bilingual educators.

In information technology, soknyelvi is applied to user interfaces that support multiple languages. A soknyelvi UI means that the software can switch between languages such as Hungarian, English, German, and others, allowing a broader user base to interact with the system. Similarly, soknyelvi data sets contain entries in more than one language, which is important for natural language processing and multilingual search engines.

The term is aligned with international terminology such as "multilingual" and "multilingualism." It reflects a broader global trend toward embracing linguistic diversity in governance, education, and technology.