national language
Country's designated speech
A national language is a language designated as representing a nation's identity, often used in government, education, and public life.
It may or may not be the same as the official language—some countries distinguish between the two, with the national language symbolizing cultural heritage while the official language serves administrative purposes.
Filipino is the national language of the Philippines, while both Filipino and English are official languages.
Multiple language proficiency
- dialectsRegional language variations
- lingua francaShared tongue between peoples
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
- pidginImprovised contact language
Devotion to one's homeland
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- homelandOne's native land
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
nationhood · citizenship · allegiance · unity · solidarity · belonging · cultural identity · independence
Language's structural rules
- orthographyStandard writing conventions
- scriptWritten words for performance
- spellingCorrect letter sequence
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
lexicon · vocabulary · syntax · pronunciation · alphabet · writing system · romanization · transliteration
Authority-sanctioned person or status
- standardizationImplementing uniform technical specifications
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- declarationFormal public announcement
mandate · recognition · status · designation · codification · regulation · administration · education
Body of written works
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- poetryMetrical literary composition
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
storytelling · songs · idioms · expressions · mythology · epics · scripts · calligraphy
multilingualism
Multiple language proficiency
- dialectsRegional language variations
- lingua francaShared tongue between peoples
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
pidgin · creole · diglossia · code-switching
patriotism
Devotion to one's homeland
sovereignty · nationhood · citizenship · allegiance · unity · solidarity · belonging · cultural identity · independence · self-determination
grammar
Language's structural rules
- orthographyStandard writing conventions
- scriptWritten words for performance
- spellingCorrect letter sequence
dictionary · lexicon · vocabulary · syntax · pronunciation · alphabet · writing system · romanization · transliteration · prescriptivism
official
Authority-sanctioned person or status
- standardizationImplementing uniform technical specifications
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
declaration · mandate · recognition · status · designation · codification · regulation · administration · education · curriculum
literature
Body of written works
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- poetryMetrical literary composition
oral tradition · storytelling · songs · idioms · expressions · mythology · epics · scripts · calligraphy · classical texts
- Standard LanguagesMandarin Chinese, High German, BBC English, Oxford English, Queen's English
- national symbolsemblem, state flag, anthem, coat of arms, bald eagle
- nationalismpatriotism, America First, folk heroes, patriotic art, anthems
- sociolinguisticssociolinguistics, diglossia, dialects, code-switching, multilingualism
- language policybilingual education, immersion programs, English-only, citizenship tests
- Language Standardsprescriptivism, proper grammar, proper usage, correctness, codification
national languageminority language
Speech spoken by few
vernacular · dialect · regional dialect · patois · creole
national languageregional language
Locally spoken tongue
global language · tribal language · world language · universal language · lingua franca
national languageforeign language
Another nation's speech
second language · colonial language · heritage language · ancestral language · mother tongue
language, nation, national, nationalism, languages, international, linguist, nationalist, linguistic