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
English is used as a lingua franca among many airline pilots.
3
: something resembling a common language
movies are the lingua franca of the twentieth century— Gore Vidal
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Time Traveler for lingua franca
The first known use of lingua franca was in 1619
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