The Mother Tongue

Check out this list of vocabulary related to a mother language, also known as a mother tongue. It's the first language a person learns in childhood, representing their cultural and linguistic roots.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. accent
    distinctive manner of oral expression
    I look around at smiles and tears of joy as voices in dozens of different accents declare their patriotism. You Bring the Distant Near
  2. bilingual
    using or knowing two languages
    They propose bilingual schooling as a way of helping students acquire the skills of the classroom crucial for public success. Hunger of Memory
  3. communication
    the activity of conveying information
    We sent return communication in a similar way, wrapping notes in the same plastic and placing them at the bottom of the mounds of dirty dishes that were routed back to the kitchen. Long Walk to Freedom
  4. conversation
    the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas
    Sam had taken no part in the conversation, though he had listened; and at the same time he had attended with his keen hobbit ears to all the soft woodland noises about them. The Two Towers
  5. dialect
    the usage or vocabulary characteristic of a group of people
    When he speaks casually, it’s in a strong Philadelphia dialect, like just about everybody else in Levittown. Drama High
  6. grammar
    the branch of linguistics that deals with sentence structure
    These could already read, write, and sew; and to them I taught the elements of grammar, geography, history, and the finer kinds of needlework.
    – Jane Eyre
  7. linguist
    a specialist in the study of language
    They were master linguists and could understand any language. Anya and the Dragon
  8. linguistics
    the scientific study of language
    Mr. Heim earned a master’s degree in Slavic linguistics from Harvard, followed by a Ph.D. in Slavic languages there.
    – The New York Times
  9. mother tongue
    one's native language
    For instance, although he can understand his mother tongue, and speak it fluently, he cannot read or write it with even modest proficiency. The Namesake
  10. multilingual
    using or knowing more than one language
    The firms that will survive will either be small scale, local studios or high-powered, business-minded international offices with multilingual staffs based around the world.
    – The Guardian
  11. phonetic
    using symbols to represent each speech sound
    The students were asked to read over and over a single phonetic paragraph designed to teach them how to soften their t’s and to roll their r's.
    The World Is Flat
  12. phonology
    the study of the sound system of a given language
    He starts with the phonology, or sound, then moves on to grammar, starting with nouns, “because they’re simpler.”
    – Los Angeles Times
  13. polyglot
    a person who speaks more than one language
    The Americas had two empires, those of the Aztecs and Incas, which resembled their Eurasian counterparts in size, population, polyglot makeup, official religions, and origins in the conquest of smaller states. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
  14. pragmatics
    the study of language use
    Her major research interests are linguistic stylistics, corpus linguistics, pragmatics, and discourse analysis. Lebert, Marie
  15. semiotics
    a philosophical theory of the functions of signs and symbols
    But he is also a highly regarded and widely published expert on semiotics, the study of symbols and signs, which he teaches at Italy's University of Bologna.
    – Los Angeles Times
  16. speech
    communication by word of mouth
    A thickness in his throat makes speech impossible. Farewell to Manzanar
  17. syntax
    the study of the rules for forming admissible sentences
    When I gave my explanation sometimes he would say, “Quite right,” and other times he would correct me with lengthy explanations of syntax. Educated
  18. tongue
    a human written or spoken language used by a community
    The Afrikaner was traditionally hostile to Africans learning English, for English was a foreign tongue to the Afrikaner and the language of emancipation to us. Long Walk to Freedom
  19. translation
    rendering in another language with the same meaning
    William thought about the texts that he and I had read together—the great Rashi, who had shown our bishops the errors in our translations of the Hebrew Bible. The Inquisitor's Tale
  20. vocabulary
    a language user's knowledge of words
    “Sorry. I just seem to precipitously have this capacious and voluminous vocabulary at my disposal.” The Smartest Kid in the Universe
Created on Fri Oct 27 14:20:03 EDT 2023 (updated Fri Jan 05 17:13:59 EST 2024)

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