Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, was known to be fluent in several languages. Primarily, he spoke German, which was his native language. He also had knowledge of Latin, a language essential in scholarly and religious texts during his time. Additionally, it is likely that he had some understanding of French and Italian due to the cultural interactions of his era.
Gutenberg’s ability to communicate in these languages would have been crucial for his work in printing, especially since many of the texts he printed were in Latin, aimed at the educated elite. Latin was the lingua franca of scholars, clergy, and educated individuals in Europe, thus facilitating his ability to distribute knowledge widely.
In summary, while Gutenberg’s native tongue was German, his proficiency in Latin, along with some familiarity with other languages, supported his pioneering work in the printing industry and his efforts to disseminate literature more broadly.