Xenoglossia is the poetic use or representation of foreign, invented, or incomprehensible languages—whether through glossolalia (speaking in tongues), constructed languages (e.g., Tolkien’s Elvish), or multilingual collage—to evoke mystery, alterity, or transcendent communication. In religious poetry, xenoglossia may signify divine inspiration; in avant-garde work, it challenges linguistic hegemony and semantic stability. Poets like Velimir Khlebnikov (zaum poetry) or contemporary sound poets use xenoglossia to explore the limits of meaning and the materiality of speech. For students, it reveals how poetry can transcend vernacular boundaries to access primal, spiritual, or utopian modes of expression beyond conventional language.

Speaking or writing in unknown or foreign language, sometimes claimed as mystical gift. Related to Xenoglossic forms. Linguistic phenomenon explored in poetry. Distinguish from glossolalia.