Language

How to spell language

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce language

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does language mean?

1. nounA system of words and grammar used by a community to communicate, or the style of words a person uses.

Language in a sentence

• The contract was written in plain language so every client could follow it.

• She is learning a second language in evening classes before the move abroad.

Where does language come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin lingua, meaning 'tongue', the physical organ, which the Romans also used figuratively for speech itself. From lingua grew the Latin linguaticum, and that passed into Old French as langage, the system of words a people speaks. English borrowed it in the 1200s, keeping the French spelling with its tell-tale 'u' after the 'g', which is exactly the letter modern writers tend to forget. The same lingua root survives openly in relatives such as 'linguist', 'bilingual', and 'linguine' (the flat, tongue-shaped pasta). Remembering that language is rooted in the 'tongue' helps explain both its meaning and the quiet 'u' tucked inside 'langu-'.

How the word is built

• langu- (from Latin lingua: tongue)
• -age (noun-forming suffix)