Oscar Wilde was fluent in four languages by the time he was a teenager.

Oscar Wilde's linguistic journey began in a highly intellectual household in Dublin. His mother, Jane Wilde, was a linguist and translator who ensured the family spoke both English and French fluently. This early immersion provided the foundation for his later academic success in classical languages.At Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, which he attended from 1864 to 1871, Wilde excelled in Greek and Latin. His proficiency was so advanced that he won the Carpenter Greek Testament Prize during his final year. This mastery of dead languages allowed him to read original philosophical texts that would later influence his aesthetic theories.In 1871, Wilde entered Trinity College Dublin on a royal scholarship to study the classics. His academic performance was stellar, culminating in his receipt of the Berkeley Gold Medal for Greek in 1874. This is the highest honor available to classicists at the university and required a rigorous examination on the Greek comic poets.Wilde later continued his studies at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he earned a rare 'Double First' in honors. His ability to think and write across four languages gave him a unique perspective on syntax and rhythm. This multilingual background is why his plays, such as 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' feature such precise and rhythmic dialogue.