Thesaurus results for MOTHER TONGUE

mother tongue

noun

Definition of mother tongue

as in language

the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication although the anthropologist could speak the local language fairly well, she was always glad to find someone who shared her mother tongue

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of mother tongue From the start of his career, Fela aimed to reach a larger and Pan-African audience by singing almost exclusively in Nigerian Pidgin English (rather than his mother tongue, Yoruba, which doesn't translate throughout most of the continent). — Ian Brennan, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026 Playing off a six-language broadcast which means it can be viewed by 75% of Europeans in their mother tongue, Arte is still growing. — John Hopewell, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026 The group last delivered a full-length in its mother tongue, Be, in November 2020. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026 First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mother tongue

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother tongue

Noun

As if the constant barrage of political ads wasn't enough, some WCCO viewers are particularly bothered by the language candidates are using.

— Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Venus, planet of money and values, in your 2nd House of Resources opposes nebulous Neptune in your 8th House of Intimacy, so costs need clear language.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of language

Noun

Google says training across languages, dialects, and different proficiency levels helped the model learn structures shared between sign languages.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Outpouring of grief The sound of sobbing underlays chanting in dozens of dialects woven together in a single expression of sorrow for Imam Hussein and his companions and family, killed and taken captive in the defining event of Shia Islam.

— Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026