Lingua Franca
/ˌlɪŋ.ɡwə ˈfræŋ.kə/noun
A language used as a common means of communication between speakers of different native languages.
Did you know?The term was originally used in the Mediterranean for a mixed contact language, and its first element comes from Latin *lingua* (“tongue, language”), a word that also gave English *lingual* and *bilingual*.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
lingua
“tongue; language”
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
lingua franca
“Frankish tongue; the speech of the Franks or western Europeans”
16th Century
Italian
lingua franca
“a mixed contact language used around the Mediterranean”
17th–18th Century
European languages
lingua franca
“any mixed language used for communication between groups”
Modern English
English
lingua franca
“a common language used among people with different native languages”
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