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

Speaking to Radio Jornalera NJ, an independent Spanish language media outlet, Lopez-Cornejo’s mother, María, said her son took medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, and seizures.

— Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
That language was taken from an earlier regulatory proposal that went before a Quorum Court committee, the Kutak Rock attorney noted.

— Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of language

Noun

To pull this off, the candidate must master a specific dialect of the modern culture war.

— Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
Bardem worked with renowned dialect coach Tim Monich to infuse his speech with a hint of a Southern drawl, aware that his character didn’t have to sound like a native speaker.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026