languages
French, Mandarin, Arabic
Languages are systems of communication—spoken, written, or signed—shared by communities of people.
English, Mandarin, and Arabic are languages; so is American Sign Language.
The word extends to any specialized system of symbols or rules: programming languages, the language of music.
Someone's language is also their manner of expression: Watch your language.
One knowing many languages
- fluencySmooth linguistic command
- interpreterOne who conveys meaning between languages
- translationConverting between languages
- code-switchingAlternating between linguistic varieties
lingua franca · ESL · TOEFL · IELTS · mother tongue · native speaker · immersion · Duolingo
Spoken exchange between parties
- conversationExchange of spoken ideas
- speechOral communication ability
- discourseFormal communication on subjects
- fluencySmooth linguistic command
articulation · pronunciation · intonation · accent · eloquence · rhetoric · oratory · narration
Rules for arranging words
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- semanticsStudy of linguistic meaning
- pragmaticsLanguage-in-context study
etymology · grammar · phonetics · lexicography · sociolinguistics · psycholinguistics · neurolinguistics · universal grammar
At risk of extinction
- extinctNo longer existing
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- minoritySmaller part of whole
- regionalRelating to an area
vernacular · dialects · pidgins · creoles · preservation · revitalization · documentation · dormant
Inherited cultural legacy
- identityWho someone is
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- literatureBody of written works
- poetryMetrical literary composition
prose · folklore · mythology · proverbs · storytelling · scripts · alphabets · writing systems
Vocabulary of a language
- wordsUnits of language
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
- glossaryAlphabetical list with definitions
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
thesaurus · idioms · slang · jargon · colloquialism · neologism · cognate · loanword
polyglot
One knowing many languages
- fluencySmooth linguistic command
- interpreterOne who conveys meaning between languages
- translationConverting between languages
code-switching · lingua franca · ESL · TOEFL · IELTS · mother tongue · native speaker · immersion · Duolingo · Rosetta Stone
dialogue
Spoken exchange between parties
- conversationExchange of spoken ideas
- speechOral communication ability
- discourseFormal communication on subjects
fluency · articulation · pronunciation · intonation · accent · eloquence · rhetoric · oratory · narration · expression
syntax
Rules for arranging words
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- semanticsStudy of linguistic meaning
pragmatics · etymology · grammar · phonetics · lexicography · sociolinguistics · psycholinguistics · neurolinguistics · universal grammar · typology
endangered
At risk of extinction
- extinctNo longer existing
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- minoritySmaller part of whole
regional · vernacular · dialects · pidgins · creoles · preservation · revitalization · documentation · dormant · moribund
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- identityWho someone is
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- literatureBody of written works
poetry · prose · folklore · mythology · proverbs · storytelling · scripts · alphabets · writing systems · calligraphy
lexicon
Vocabulary of a language
- wordsUnits of language
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
- glossaryAlphabetical list with definitions
dictionary · thesaurus · idioms · slang · jargon · colloquialism · neologism · cognate · loanword · borrowed words
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
- world culturesholidays, flags, world music, traditional clothing, ethnic food
- cultural elementstraditions, heritage, customs, ritual, religions
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- cultural wealthtraditions, customs, folklore, music, dance
- humanitiesphilosophy, history, literature, philosophy class, novels
languagessilences
Stops from speaking
silence · muteness · speechlessness · wordlessness · voicelessness
languagesgestures
Expressive body movements
body language · actions · deeds · touch · brute force
- body languageUnspoken physical expression
- bad languageObscene or offensive words
- foreign languageAnother nation's speech
- sign languageVisual-gestural communication system
- second languageTongue learned after childhood
- living languageLanguage still naturally spoken
language, language family, language barrier, language exchange, language school, language's