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 The notion of a mother tongue assumes that language functions as a common thread in families, tying parent to child. — Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for mother tongue

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother tongue

Noun

The language of the legislation that passed the House calls for an immediate adoption of year-round daylight saving time by rewriting a federal law that sets time across the country.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Chanting in multiple languages filled the room and reverberated all around, the voices of the cantors at the kliros blending with the voices of the collective.

— Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of language

Noun

To borrow from a more crude idiom, the Knicks need to shoot or get off the free throw line.

— Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 31 Oct. 2026
Its palette is broad, moving from comic to straight rap, from Cab Calloway swing to Beyoncé-style ballads, each idiom chosen for its dramatic purpose.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026