Language

Pronunciation

• enPR: lăngʹgwÄ­j, IPA: /ˈlæŋɡwɪdÊ’/
• US enPR: lāngʹgwÄ­j, IPA: /ˈleɪŋɡwɪdÊ’/

Origin

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").

Full definition of language

Noun

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, 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
• 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate Chapter Prologue, Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
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, "Where the hell is Horace?" ¶"There he is. He's coming. You shouldn't use language."
8. Spoken or written words.

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
• lingual
• linguine
• linguistics
• tonguage

Verb

1. To communicate by language; to express in language.Others were languaged in such doubtful expressions that they have a double sense. — Fuller.