language
[ lang-gwij ]
/ ˈlæŋ gwɪdʒ /
noun
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Origin of language
SYNONYMS FOR language
2 See
speech.
4, 9 tongue; terminology; lingo, lingua franca.
Language,
dialect,
jargon,
vernacular refer to linguistic configurations of vocabulary, syntax, phonology, and usage that are characteristic of communities of various sizes and types.
Language is a broad term applied to the overall linguistic configurations that allow a particular people to communicate:
the English language; the French language.
Dialect is applied to certain forms or varieties of a language, often those that provincial communities or special groups retain (or develop) even after a standard has been established:
Scottish dialect; regional dialect; Southern dialect. A
jargon is either an artificial linguistic configuration used by a particular (usually occupational) group within a community or a special configuration created for communication in a particular business or trade or for communication between members of groups that speak different languages:
computer jargon; the Chinook jargon. A
vernacular is the authentic natural pattern--the ordinary speech--of a given language, now usually on the informal level. It is at once congruent with and, in relatively small ways, distinguished from the standard language in syntax, vocabulary, usage, and pronunciation. It is used by persons indigenous to a certain community, large or small.
OTHER WORDS FROM language
pre·lan·guage, adjectiveWords nearby language
Example sentences from the Web for language
British Dictionary definitions for language
language
/ (ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ) /
noun
Word Origin for language
C13: from Old French
langage, ultimately from Latin
lingua tongue
Scientific definitions for language
language
[ lăng′gwĭj ]
A system of objects or symbols, such as sounds or character sequences, that can be combined in various ways following a set of rules, especially to communicate thoughts, feelings, or instructions. See also machine language programming language.
The set of patterns or structures produced by such a system.