Bilingualism
/ˌbaɪˈlɪŋɡwəˌlɪzəm/noun
The ability or practice of using two languages fluently or habitually.
Did you know?Although bilingualism is a modern abstract noun, its core pieces come from Latin roots that also gave English words for the number two and for tongue, showing how ancient language terms still shape how we describe identity and power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dwóh₁
“two”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s
“tongue, language”
Latin
Latin
bī-
“two, twice”
Latin
Latin
lingua
“tongue; language”
Late Latin
Latin
bilinguis
“speaking two languages”
19th Century
English
bilingualism
“the condition or practice of using two languages”
Explore more surprising origins