Lingua
/ˈlɪŋ.ɡwə/noun
A Latin word for the tongue, and by extension language or speech.
Did you know?Latin lingua gave rise to words like “language” and “linguistic,” preserving the ancient idea that to speak is to work the tongue like a magical instrument.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s
“tongue”
Latin
Latin
lingua
“tongue; speech; language”
Old French
Old French
langage
“speech; language”
Middle English
English
langage
“speech; manner of speaking”
Modern English
English
language
“the system of spoken or written communication used by a people”