lingua franca
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.lin·gua fran·ca
noun \ˈliŋ-gwə-ˈfraŋ-kə\ plural lingua francas or lin·guae fran·cae \-gwē-ˈfraŋ-(ˌ)kē\
Definition of LINGUA FRANCA
1
often capitalized : a common language consisting of Italian mixed with French, Spanish, Greek, and Arabic that was formerly spoken in Mediterranean ports
2
: any of various languages used as common or commercial tongues among peoples of diverse speech
3
: something resembling a common language <movies are the lingua franca of the twentieth century — Gore Vidal>
See Examples of LINGUA FRANCA
- English is used as a lingua franca among many airline pilots.
Origin of LINGUA FRANCA
Italian, literally, Frankish language
First Known Use: 1619
Other Language Terms
Rhymes with LINGUA FRANCA
lingua franca
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)Language used for communication between two or more groups that have different native languages. It may be a standard language—for example, English and French are often used for international diplomacy, and Swahili is used by speakers of the many different local languages of eastern Africa. A lingua franca may also be a pidgin, like Melanesian Pidgin, widely used in the southern Pacific. The term lingua franca (Latin: “Frankish language”) was first applied to a pidgin based on French and Italian developed in the Mediterranean. See also creole.
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