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What is the difference between glossolalia and xenoglossy?

Question #106638. Asked by BaronBatty.
Last updated Dec 17 2016.

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looney_tunes star
Answer has 8 votes
Currently Best Answer
looney_tunes star
19 year member
3289 replies avatar

Answer has 8 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
In short, xenoglossy is the production of meaningful speech or writing in a language with which the speaker/writer has no familiarity. Glossolalia is the production of meaningless linguistic sounds that do not come from any recognised language.

"Glossolalia is fabricated, meaningless speech. According to Dr. William T. Samarin, professor of anthropology and linguistics at the University of Toronto, 'glossolalia consists of strings of meaningless syllables made up of sounds taken from those familiar to the speaker and put together more or less haphazardly .... Glossolalia is language-like because the speaker unconsciously wants it to be language-like. Yet in spite of superficial similarities, glossolalia fundamentally is not language (Nickell, 108)'.

When spoken by schizophrenics, glossolalia are recognized as gibberish. In charismatic Christian communities glossolalia is sacred and referred to as 'speaking in tongues' or having 'the gift of tongues.'"

link http://www.skepdic.com/glossol.html

"Xenoglossy is the alleged speaking or writing in a language entirely unknown to the speaker. The probability of this happening is about zero."

link http://www.skepdic.com/xenoglossy.html

Jun 26 2009, 8:23 PM
queproblema
Answer has 4 votes
queproblema
18 year member
2119 replies

Answer has 4 votes.
I read this story over 40 years ago in a book entitled "They Speak in Other Tongues" by John and Elizabeth Sherrill. I believed it to be true. The minister's name was Harald Bredesen.

This is the least weird of the several sites I find that mention the incident. I cannot verify it.

"I mentioned casually that I knew a minister who had spoken in tongues to an Egyptian woman. The language was Arabic, which he did not know, and she was converted to Christianity because of it. I explained how the story was documented."
link http://www.actsofthegreenapples.blogspot.com/

According to Amazon.com, this book has sold more than two and a half million copies.
link http://www.elizabethsherrill.com/they-speak-with-other-tongues-book-desc.html
link http://www.amazon.com/They-Speak-Other-Tongues-Sherrill/dp/0800791304

Response last updated by satguru on Dec 14 2016.
Jun 26 2009, 9:05 PM
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zbeckabee star
Answer has 5 votes
zbeckabee star
Moderator
18 year member
11752 replies avatar

Answer has 5 votes.
Another name for speaking in tongues is GLOSSOLALIA whereas XENOGLOSSY is the ability to speak or write in a language that has not been learned.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossolalia

Response last updated by LadyNym on Dec 17 2016.
Jun 27 2009, 5:04 AM
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