Language Definition

English

Etymology

Middle English language from Old French language from Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Latin lingua (“tongue, speech, language”) from Old Latin *dingua ("tongue") from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue, speech, language”). Displaced native Middle English rearde, ȝerearde (“language”) (from Old English reord (“language, speech”)), Middle English londspreche, londspeche (“language”) (from Old English *landsprǣċ ("language, national tongue"), Old English þēod and þēodisc (“language”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: lăngʹgwĭj, IPA: /ˈlæŋɡwɪʤ/, SAMPA: /"l{NgwIdZ/

• Audio (US)
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Noun

language (countable and uncountable; plural languages)

1. (countable) A form of communication using words either spoken or gestured with the hands and structured with grammar, often with a writing system.

   the English language

   sign language

   • 1900, William Beckford, The History of the Caliph Vathek^[1], page 50:

     "No language could express his rage and despair."

2. (uncountable) The ability to communicate using words.

   the gift of language

3. (countable or uncountable) Nonverbal communication.

   body language

4. (computing, countable) A computer language.
5. (uncountable) The vocabulary and usage used in a particular specialist field.

   legal language

6. (uncountable) The particular words used in speech or a passage of text.

   The language he used to talk to me was obscene.

   The language used in the law does not permit any other interpretation.

7. (uncountable) Profanity.
   • 1978, James Carroll, Mortal Friends^[2], ISBN 0440157897, page 500:

     "Where the hell is Horace?" ¶"There he is. He's coming. You shouldn't use language."

Usage notes

• Adjectives often applied to "language": spoken, written, abusive, foul, vulgar, coarse, offensive, obscene, explicit, insulting, modern, ancient, natural, artificial, constructed, formal, figurative, metaphorical, literal, national, international, technical, legal, political, scientific, mathematical, endangered, extinct, plain, clear, complex, simple.

Synonyms

• (system of communication): lingo (colloquial), tongue, speech, parlance
• (computer language): computer language, programming language
• (vocabulary of a particular field): jargon, phraseology, terminology
• (particular words used): lexis, phraseology, phrasing, terms, wording, words

Derived terms

Related terms

• langue
• linguine
• linguistics

See also

• bilingual
• linguistics
• multilingual
• trilingual

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: states · wished · school · #750: language · court · British · meant

French

Noun

language m. (plural languages)

1. Archaic spelling of langage.

Middle French

Alternative forms

• langage
• langaige
• languaige

Noun

language m. (plural languages)

1. language (style of communicating)

See also

• langue

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Classical Latin lingua (“tongue, language”).

Noun

language f. (oblique plural languages, nominative singular language, nominative plural languages)

1. language (style of communicating)

Descendants

• Middle English: language
  • English: language
• Middle French: language
  • French: langage

See also

• langue, lingue

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See Also:

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• Idoma Language
• Igbo Language
• Koman Languages
• Opuuo Language
• Urdu Language