Xenoglossy (), also written
xenoglossia (), sometimes also known as
xenolalia, is the putative
paranormal phenomenon in which a person is able to speak or write a language he or she could not have acquired by natural means. The words derive from
Greek ξένος (
xenos), "foreigner" and γλῶσσα (
glōssa), "tongue" or "language". The term xenoglossy was ostensibly coined by French
parapsychologist Charles Richet. Stories of xenoglossy are found in the Bible, and contemporary claims of xenoglossy have been made by parapsychologists and
reincarnation researchers such as
Ian Stevenson. There is no scientific evidence that xenoglossy is an actual phenomenon.