lingua

[ ling-gwuh ]

noun

, plural lin·guae [ling, -gwee].

1. the tongue or a part like a tongue.

lingua

/ ˈlɪŋɡwə /

noun

1. the technical name for tongue
2. any tongue-like structure

Word History and Origins

Origin of lingua¹

1665–75; < Latin; akin to tongue

Word History and Origins

Origin of lingua¹

C17: Latin

Example Sentences

Even in Ghana, where the lingua franca is English, knowing how to use smartphones and apps can be a challenge for newcomers.

From Seattle Times

He spoke Yiddish — the Hasidic lingua franca — and lived in a Hasidic neighborhood.

From New York Times

She is supposed to be a loud-mouthed troll, which is the lingua franca of the movement, but also to remember that her role as a woman is to be accommodating, submissive and placating to men.

From Salon

It has become the lingua franca of many local Indigenous groups, all with distinctly different language histories.

From Scientific American

Today I live in Taiwan, where Mandarin Chinese is the lingua franca, and fixtures of the California accent have attached itself to my Chinese.

From Los Angeles Times