Polyglot 🗣️ — Interactive Multi-Language Terminal Translator

Translate text to multiple languages simultaneously via an interactive bash prompt. Powered by translate-shell. Zero deps beyond that. Works on Linux, macOS, Windows, Termux (Android) — iOS via iSH/Blink Shell.

Perfect for:

• Comparing translations side-by-side (e.g. Romance, Germanic, Slavic languages)
• People studying or working with multiple languages
• Language learners spotting nuances
• Polyglots & travelers (Termux/SSH-friendly)
• Quick CLI lookups, no browser needed

Quick demo

Commands

/c {fr,de,bg,...} - clear languages (set them from scratch)
/a fr{,de,bg,...} - add language(s)
/d fr{,de,bg,...} - remove language(s)
/f pl             - set source language
/l                - show supported languages
/?                - print help
/q                - quit

Installation

Any Unix-like (Linux/macOS)

1. Install translate-shell (e.g., brew install translate-shell)
2. git clone https://github.com/specious/polyglot.git && cd polyglot && ./polyglot

Arch Linux

Get the polyglot-translate-git AUR package.

Android (Termux)

pkg add git translate-shell
git clone https://github.com/specious/polyglot.git
cd polyglot
./polyglot

iOS

• Currently doesn't work in iSH (see: translate-shell issue #1699)
• Might work in Blink Shell (really nice paid app)

Why you'll love it

• Zero config
• Custom lang sets (e.g., /c es,pt,it,fr for Romance)
• Portable — same bash script everywhere
• Fast interactive loop fetches all translations in parallel

Typing /l shows list of supported languages.

Related

Built for fans of translate-shell. Star if useful!

License

This project is licensed under ISC, a minimal permissive license functionally equivalent to MIT.