Jazyk
/ˈja.zɪk/noun
A Slavic word meaning “tongue” and, by extension, “language.”
Did you know?Across Slavic languages, the word for “tongue” developed into the word for “language,” showing how ancient speakers treated speech as something physically embodied and socially powerful.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s
“Tongue; speech organ”
Proto-Slavic
PSl
*ęzykъ
“Tongue, language”
Old Church Slavonic
OCS
językъ
“Tongue; speech; language”
Old Czech
Czech
jazyk
“Tongue; language”
Modern Czech/Slovak/Slavic
Slavic
jazyk
“Tongue; language”