I use many languages, but speak only one. What am I?

Question

I am not blind
I am not dull
I use many languages
but speak only one.

What am I?

*I learnt from many languages – gsamaras Jul 23 '16 at 06:35 — gsamaras, Jul 23 '16 at 06:35

score 67 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 22 '16 at 19:49

67

The answer is

C# (programming language)

I am not blind, I am not dull

Not blind = see (C); not dull = sharp

I use many languages

C# was developed on the backs of several different languages, and borrows concepts from several of them (Java, C/C++, others...?)

But speak only one

Itself it is just one language: C#

answered Jul 22 '16 at 19:49

GentlePurpleRain

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He should have said I learnt from many languages. – gsamaras Jul 23 '16 at 06:35
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Whoa, what a brilliant answer :D – ABcDexter Jul 23 '16 at 10:40
@gsamaras nah, "I know many languages, but speak only one" would have worked better. – Ant P Jul 25 '16 at 10:45

score 29 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 22 '16 at 17:32

29

Are you

A computer

I am not blind

webcams on a computer can see

I am not dull

Computers are able to perform many calculations and thus aren't dull

I use many languages

Most computers use many programming languages

but speak only one

But all the languages need to be reduced to binary for the computer to handle.

answered Jul 22 '16 at 17:32

gtwebb

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Nope! but a good guess nonetheless! – Alex Rohr Jul 22 '16 at 17:37
@Alex Rohr Is he any close? Because I was thinking somewhat along the same lines... – Sid Jul 22 '16 at 17:38
@Sid it is the right general direction – Alex Rohr Jul 22 '16 at 17:56
And with the recent introduction of quantum computing, binary is no longer the only language computers can speak – Areeb Jul 22 '16 at 17:57
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@Areeb good point but I would argue that quantum computers are almost always referred to explicitly as "quantum". So a "computer" would generally be regarded as a classic (non-quantum) computer. – gtwebb Jul 22 '16 at 19:35
@gtwebb Yeah I don't see commercial quantum computers coming anytime soon, so the current connotation is going to stick – Areeb Jul 22 '16 at 19:39
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Binary is not a language, just as decimal isn't. – Dmiters Jul 22 '16 at 22:03
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@DmitryNarkevich Binary is an alphabet, for which we have machine instructions as the language. – Chris Jul 22 '16 at 23:01
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The language a computer directly executes is, aptly, named "machine language". That it is stored in binary form is just because on our computers everything is stored in binary form. On a ternary computer, the machine language would be ternary. And a quantum computer would probably have a quantum machine language. – celtschk Jul 23 '16 at 08:11
Or you can say the one language is assembly. – Nemo Jul 23 '16 at 08:24
Computers absolutely are dull. They only do what they are told. And if they're not told anything, they do nothing. – nhgrif Jul 23 '16 at 20:55
@Nemo Assembly is a human-readable version of machine language that uses mnemonics for the opcodes. Assembly can be translated to machine code with an assembler, but the computer does not execute assembly directly. – NobodyNada Jul 24 '16 at 03:25
@NobodyNada if there is an isomorphism between the two, it's the same. ;-) – Nemo Jul 24 '16 at 08:46

score 11 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 23 '16 at 10:43

11

I know what you are.

A programmer.

because

Uses many programming languages but speaks only English.
Is not dull but rather very smart
and can see because needs to see to program.

edited Jul 23 '16 at 10:43

ABcDexter

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answered Jul 23 '16 at 09:30

user26831

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does not need to see to program, at work we have a blind programmer on our staff, he uses a screen reader when operating the computer, and a cane when traveling. – Jasen Jul 24 '16 at 00:09
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A programmer can be a polyglot. So the last condition is not always met. – Highstaker Jul 24 '16 at 05:53
Can I merge this account with my real one? – user26831 Jul 24 '16 at 14:57
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And many of my programmer colleagues are rather dull... – Ken Y-N Jul 25 '16 at 00:40
@Highstalker: Then a monoglot programmer. – The_Sympathizer Jul 25 '16 at 05:08

score 7 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 24 '16 at 22:05

What are you?

You are mute.

I am not blind
I am not dull

Your senses and intellect are fine, you just lack the ability to speak vocally.

I use many languages
but speak only one.

No matter which languages you use, they are all "spoken" in sign language.

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 21 '18 at 14:23

Are you a

Computer programmer?

This answer satisfies the conditions...

They aren't blind (need to see the computer) or dull (programming is fun!), and they use very many (coding) languages, but they might only be monolingual in the real world.

score -1 · Answer 6 · edited Jul 23 '16 at 10:48

-1

I think it's a translation robot or algorithm like translate.google.com

I am not blind

I see many people who visit me

I am not dull

translation is fun

I use many languages

upwards of 50 languages

but speak only one.

the language I am programmed in.

edited Jul 23 '16 at 10:48

ABcDexter

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answered Jul 23 '16 at 10:42

GwenKillerby

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Welcome to Puzzling.SE. Please use >! for adding spoilers so that others (who are currently solving the same puzzle) don't see your answer :) – ABcDexter Jul 23 '16 at 10:46
it didn't work when i corrected but now all of a sudden it does. plse remove the minus one – GwenKillerby Jul 23 '16 at 10:47
I've formatted it for you, please refer to this link. No, I didn't downvote O:) – ABcDexter Jul 23 '16 at 10:50

score -1 · Answer 7 · answered Jul 25 '16 at 03:55

-1

The answer is:

I am not blind (yes I am not)
I am not dull (yes I am not)
I use many languages (currently 3)
But speak only one (on the others I only try)

So I am:

A common foreigner in Germany! :-)

:-) Sorry for the joke, I am also one of them. :-)

answered Jul 25 '16 at 03:55

Gray Sheep

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(no prob, delete it) – Gray Sheep Jul 25 '16 at 03:56

I use many languages, but speak only one. What am I?

7 Answers7