English

Etymology

Middle English < Old French langue (tongue, speech, language) < Vulgar Latin *linguaticum < Latin lingua (tongue, speech, language) < Old Latin dingua < Proto-Indo-European *dnghwa- (tongue, speech, language).

Noun

language (uncountable and countable; plural languages)

1. (uncountable) The expression of an understanding — see "Language is Understanding"
2. A system of communication using the spoken word or using symbols that represent words or sounds.

   the English language

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

   the gift of language

4. (uncountable) A nonverbal system of communication.

   sign language

5. (computing) A computer language.
6. (uncountable) The vocabulary used in a particular specialist field.

   legal language

7. (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.

Synonyms

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

Translations

expression of an understanding

system of communication using words or symbols

the ability to communicate using words

nonverbal system of communication

computer language See computer language

vocabulary of a particular field

particular words used

Translations to be checked

The translations below need to be checked by native speakers and inserted into the appropriate tables above. The numbering is unreliable.

• Arabic: لُغَةٌ (lúγa) f
• Asturian: idioma m, llingua f
• Bosnian: jezik m, govor m
• Breton: yezh f -où plural
• Bulgarian: език (jezík) m (1,2,3,4,5,6)
• Burmese: စကား (sakà)
• Catalan: idioma m, llengua f
• Cebuano: yinaknan , pinulungan
• Czech: jazyk m
• Danish: sprog
• Dutch: taal f, spraak f
• Esperanto: lingvo
• French: langue f (1 - 3), langage m (4 - 7)
• Frisian: taal
• German: Sprache f (1 - 7)
• Greek (Classical): γλῶσσα (glỗssα) f, γλῶττα (glỗttα) f
• Guaraní: ñe'ẽ
• Hawaiian: ‘ōlelo
• Hebrew: שפה (safáh) f, לשון (lashón) f
• Hindi: भाषा (bhāssā) m
• Icelandic: mál n, tungumál n
• Interlingua: lingua (1), linguage (2,3,4,5)
• Irish: teanga f
• Italian: lingua f (1 - 3), linguaggio m (4 - 7)
• Kannada: ಭಾಷೆ (bhāsse), ನುಡಿ (nuddi)
• Khmer: ភាសា (phiesaa)
• Klingon: Hol
• Korean: 말 (mal), 언어 (言語 , eon'eo)
• Latvian: valoda
• Lithuanian: kalba
• Luxembourgish: Sprooch f
• Malay: bahasa
• Manchu: gisun
• Middle High German : sprâche f
• Mirandese : lhéngua f
• Mongolian: хэл (khel)
• Norwegian: språk, talemål n
• Old English: spræc
• Old High German : sprâhha
• Persian: زبان (zæbān)
• Polish: język m
• Quenya:  (lambe),  (qetil)
• Romanian: limbă f
• Romanica: lingua f (1), linguage f (2,3,4,5)
• Sardinian: limba
• Sindarin:  (lam)
• Slovak: jazyk m, reč f
• Slovenian: jezik m
• Swahili: lugha noun 5
• Thai: ภาษา (phaasáá)
• Toki Pona: toki
• Tupinambá: nhe'enga
• Turkish: dil , lisan
• Urdu: jabaan
• Vietnamese: tiếng nói , ngôn ngữ
• Volapük: pük
• Welsh: iaith f
• Xhosa: ulwimi 6
• Yiddish: לשון (loshn) n
• Zulu: ulimi , isintu

Derived terms

• artificial language
• computing language
• bad language
• foreign language
• language code
• language lab
• mind one's language
• programming language
• sign language

See also

• bilingual
• linguistics
• multilingual
• trilingual