mother tongue
The term "mother tongue" is commonly used to describe the first language learned at home during childhood, often shaping one's cultural and personal identity.
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Definition
B2General
(common)The first language a person learns from birth and continues to understand.
Example
- English is her mother tongue, but she also speaks Spanish fluently.
C1Linguistics
(academic)The primary language acquired during early childhood, often influencing one's cultural identity.
Example
- Researchers study the influence of mother tongue on second language acquisition.
C1Cultural
(ethnic)The language of one's ethnic group, regardless of whether it is their first language.
Example
- He feels a strong connection to his heritage through his mother tongue, even though he grew up speaking a different language.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "mother tongue":
native languagefirst languagefather tongueheritage languagetarget languageforeign language