Complex sentence: Ernst Westphal was born at Khalava in Vendaland, the son of German Lutheran missionary parents; already as a child he was fluent in German, English, Afrikaans and Venda.
Split into simpler sentences: Ernst Westphal was born at Khalava in Vendaland, the son of German Lutheran missionary parents. Already as a child he was fluent in German, English, Afrikaans and Venda.