mother-tongue
Native linguistic inheritance
A mother tongue is the language a person learns first, typically from their parents in early childhood.
It's the language of native fluency—the one you dream in, count in, curse in without thinking.
Her mother tongue was Mandarin, though she'd lived in Boston for decades.
Also called a native language or first language.
Everyday regional speech
- dialectRegional language variety
- patoisRegional informal speech
- pidginImprovised contact language
- creoleNativized pidgin tongue
bilingualism · multilingualism · code-switching · fluency · pronunciation · intonation · accent · idiom
Family line of descent
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- birthrightEntitlement from origin
traditions · customs · folklore · ethnicity · homeland · diaspora · immigration · assimilation
One fluent from birth
- proficiencySkilled performance level
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
- articulateExpress clearly, or well-spoken
- comprehensionMental understanding of meaning
intuition · natural · effortless · instinctive · idiomatic · nuance · subtlety · wordplay
State of fitting in
- kinshipState of being related
- nationalityLegal belonging to country
- self-expressionConveying one's inner world
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
connection · community · family · upbringing · childhood · intimacy · comfort · nostalgia
vernacular
Everyday regional speech
creole · bilingualism · multilingualism · code-switching · fluency · pronunciation · intonation · accent · idiom · colloquialism
ancestry
Family line of descent
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
birthright · traditions · customs · folklore · ethnicity · homeland · diaspora · immigration · assimilation · preservation
native-speaker
One fluent from birth
- proficiencySkilled performance level
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
- articulateExpress clearly, or well-spoken
comprehension · intuition · natural · effortless · instinctive · idiomatic · nuance · subtlety · wordplay · humor
belonging
State of fitting in
- kinshipState of being related
- nationalityLegal belonging to country
- self-expressionConveying one's inner world
authenticity · connection · community · family · upbringing · childhood · intimacy · comfort · nostalgia · homesickness
mother-tongueforeign tongue
Non-native mode of speech
colonial language · lingua franca · trade language · official language · working language
mother, maternal, motherly, motherhood, mothers, mothering, maternity, mothered, matron