lingua

[ling-gwuh]

noun

plural

linguae 

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

Sport was the exception to the rule that all things American were the world’s cultural lingua franca.

From Los Angeles Times

The talk was in Spanish, an unremarkable fact given the language has been the lingua franca on most construction sites in Southern California for decades.

From Los Angeles Times

Most are published in languages other than English, the lingua franca of science, and only a small fraction of them are indexed in international citation and index systems.

From Science Magazine

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