Dictionary / language
language
- noun
- verb
- interjection
- from Old French
A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “language” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun · etymology 1
- countableA body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
The English and German languages are both members of the West Germanic language family.
- uncountableThe ability to communicate using words.
the gift of language
- uncountableA sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field.
legal language; the language of chemistry
- uncountableThe specific wording or style of a text, such as a law or a contract.
- countablefigurativelyuncountableThe expression of thought (the communication of meaning) in a specified way; that which communicates something, as language does.
body language; the language of the eyes
- countableuncountableA body of sounds, signs or signals by which animals communicate, and by which plants are sometimes also thought to communicate.
A more likely hypothesis was that the attacked leaves were transmitting some airborne chemical signal to sound the alarm, rather like insects sending out warnings […] But this is the first time that a plant-to-plant language has been detected.1983, The Listener, volume 110, page 14:
- countableA computer language; a machine language.
In fact pointers are called references in these languages to distinguish them from pointers in languages like C and C++.2015, Kent D. Lee, Foundations of Programming Languages, →ISBN, page 94:
- uncountableA manner of expression.
Their language simple, as their manners meek, […]1782, William Cowper, Hope:
- uncountableThe particular words used in a speech or a passage of text.
The language used in the law does not permit any other interpretation.
- euphemisticuncountableProfanity.
"Where the hell is Horace?" ¶ "There he is. He's coming. You shouldn't use language."1978, James Carroll, Mortal Friends, →ISBN, page 500:
verb · etymology 1
- nonstandardrareTo communicate by language; to express in language.
Others were languaged in such doubtful expressions that they have a double sense.1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
interjection · etymology 1
- An admonishment said in response to someone using vulgar language during a conversation.
noun · etymology 2
- A languet, a flat plate in or below the flue pipe of an organ.
A flue-pipe is one in which the air passes through the throat, or flue, which is the narrow, longitudinal aperture between the lower lip and the tongue, or language. […] The language is adjusted by slightly elevating or depressing it, […]1896, William Horatio Clarke, The Organist's Retrospect, page 79:
Cross-check: WordNet senses (6)
- nouna systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols — also: linguistic communication
- noun(language) communication by word of mouth — also: speech, speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, voice communication
- nounthe text of a popular song or musical-comedy number — also: lyric, words
- nounthe cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication — also: linguistic process
- nounthe mental faculty or power of vocal communication — also: speech
- nouna system of words used to name things in a particular discipline — also: terminology, nomenclature
Synonyms: jargon, computer language, programming language, machine language, wording, language, leid, lingo, speech, tongue
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
Etymology 1 (noun, verb, interjection)
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)language
- Middle Englishlangage
- Old Frenchlanguage
- Vulgar Latin*linguāticum
- Latinlingua “tongue, speech, language”
- Old Latindingua “tongue”
- Proto-Indo-European*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s “tongue, speech, language”
From Middle English langage, 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”). Doublet of langaj. Displaced Old English ġeþēode. Mostly, but not fully, displaced native English tongue, in this specific sense, in common as well as academic usage.
Derivatives — words built from “language”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “language” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “language” came from before it was English.
Etymology 1 (noun, verb, interjection)
Etymology 2 (noun)
The source does not trace this sense to an earlier language.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
language n. [OE. langage, F. langage, fr. L. lingua the tongue, hence speech, language; akin to E. tongue. See Tongue, cf. Lingual.]
- Any means of conveying or communicating ideas;
- human speech; the expression of ideas by the voice; sounds, expressive of thought, articulated by the organs of the throat and mouth.
- The expression of ideas by writing, or any other instrumentality.
- The forms of speech, or the methods of expressing ideas, peculiar to a particular nation.
language v. t.
- To communicate by language; to express in language.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
The English and German languages are both members of the West Germanic language family.
Deaf and mute people communicate using sign language.
nounMeaning: The ability to communicate using words.
the gift of language
It is wholly out of the power of language to convey any idea of the blissful enjoyment of obtaining water, after an almost total want of it, during eight and forty hours, in the scorching regions of an Arabian desert, in the month of July.1805 December, Julius Griffiths, “A Journey across the Desert”, in The Monthly Mirror, page 362:
nounMeaning: A sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field.
legal language; the language of chemistry
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.1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
nounMeaning: The expression of thought (the communication of meaning) in a specified way; that which communicates something, as language does.
body language; the language of the eyes
A tale about themselves [is] told by people with help from the universal languages of their eyes, their hands, and even their shirting feet.2001, Eugene C. Kennedy, Sara C. Charles, On Becoming a Counselor, →ISBN:
nounMeaning: A body of sounds, signs or signals by which animals communicate, and by which plants are sometimes also thought to communicate.
A more likely hypothesis was that the attacked leaves were transmitting some airborne chemical signal to sound the alarm, rather like insects sending out warnings […] But this is the first time that a plant-to-plant language has been detected.1983, The Listener, volume 110, page 14:
Prairie dogs use their language to refer to real dangers in the real world, so it definitely has meaning.2009, Animals in Translation, page 274:
nounMeaning: A computer language; a machine language.
In fact pointers are called references in these languages to distinguish them from pointers in languages like C and C++.2015, Kent D. Lee, Foundations of Programming Languages, →ISBN, page 94:
nounMeaning: a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
he taught foreign languages
the language introduced is standard throughout the text
nounMeaning: (language) communication by word of mouth
he uttered harsh language
he recorded the spoken language of the streets
nounMeaning: the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number
the song uses colloquial language
nounMeaning: the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication
he didn't have the language to express his feelings
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
language
/ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪd͡ʒ/ · lan·guage
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
language
/ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪd͡ʒ/ · lan·guage · noun, verb, interjection
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “language” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“The English and German languages are both members of the West Germanic language family.”
Circle the meaning used.
“the gift of language”
Circle the meaning used.
“legal language; the language of chemistry”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “language” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — language
Which meaning, sentence 1: A. A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
Which meaning, sentence 2: A. The ability to communicate using words.
Which meaning, sentence 3: B. A sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field.
Origin: D. Old French (Old French language)
Journey: English language ← Middle English langage ← Old French language ← Vulgar Latin *linguāticum ← Latin lingua ← Old Latin dingua ← Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s
Some derivatives: altlang, antilanguage, artlang, Auslan, auxlang, bilanguage, camouflanguage, colanguage
Original meaning: Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s — “tongue, speech, language”
Etymology: From Middle English langage, 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”). Doublet of langaj. Displaced Old English ġeþēode. Mostly, but not fully, displaced native English tongue, in this specific sense, in common as well as academic usage.
Sources: Wiktionary “language” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/language#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/language