mother tongue

noun

1
: one's native language
2
: a language from which another language derives

Example Sentences

although the anthropologist could speak the local language fairly well, she was always glad to find someone who shared her mother tongue
Recent Examples on the Web Products that might work for people in languages like English -- like Facebook -- are the equivalent of 4chan (a message board known as a safe haven for hate) in my mother tongue, Tigrinya. From Cnn Opinion And As Equals, CNN, 27 Apr. 2023 Their kids don’t speak their mother tongue. Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2023 Each speaks their mother tongue, with the dialogue subtitled in real time for the audience, while the performers themselves are unable to understand one another beyond the sounds of foreign words that become cues for their individual knowledge of the script. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2022 Looking at how people process foreign languages, as opposed to their mother tongue, could be an option as well. Jennifer Walter, Discover Magazine, 4 Sep. 2019 Members of the group—Frankie Chan, Alton Wong, Lokman Yeung, Stanley Yau, Anson Kong, Jer Lau, Ian Chan, Jeremy Lee, Edan Lui, Keung To, Tiger Yau, and Lo—were mostly brought up in Hong Kong with Cantonese as their mother tongue. Vivienne Chow, Variety, 9 Mar. 2023 Words and languages are important, especially the mother tongue, because it’s really associated with your body, the physical being. Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2021 Today, Hebrew is the official language of Israel and the mother tongue of more than five million people — with nine million speakers around the world. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2021 At the chalk clutched in his hand, the letters of her mother tongue like withered bloodstains, but white, distinct on the blackboard. Han Kang, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mother tongue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mother tongue was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mother tongue

Cite this Entry

“Mother tongue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mother%20tongue. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

mother tongue

noun
1
: one's native language
2
: a language from which another language develops
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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