parent language

noun

1. an earlier language from which another is derived.

Example Sentences

This single parent language – known as Proto Indo-European – spawned all these later languages and their shared word for paters.

From Salon

Scholars have argued for two centuries about the identity and homeland of those who spoke this parent language, but a surprisingly sudden resolution of this longstanding issue may be at hand.

From New York Times

And she has been invited to present her ideas for a parent language initiative to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy in early October.

From Slate

The way linguists compare words from descendant languages to reconstruct the parent language is called, appropriately, the comparative method.

From Scientific American

That these clans constituted one race was evident to the Romans, for they all had a striking similarity in type of body; moreover, a closer acquaintance revealed that their numerous dialects were all variations of the same parent language, and finally, they resembled each other in customs, traditions, and religion.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• first language