language
A body of words, and set of methods of combining them, understood by a community and…A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
» Learning a foreign language is difficult.
Eine Fremdsprache zu lernen, ist schwierig.
Es ist schwierig, eine Fremdsprache zu lernen.
Учить иностранный язык трудно.
Иностранный язык трудно учить.
Трудно учить иностранный язык.
Важко вивчити іноземну мову.
Meaning
11 senses(countable)A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
The English and German languages are both members of the West Germanic language family.
Deaf and mute people communicate using sign language.
Sprache, Einzelsprache, Språch
язы́кjazýk, речьrečʹ
мо́ваmóva
(uncountable)The ability to communicate using words.
the gift of language
Sprache
язы́кjazýk, речьrečʹ
(uncountable)A sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field.
legal language; the language of chemistry
Sprache, Jargon
язы́кjazýk, лексико́нleksikón
(uncountable)The specific wording or style of a text, such as a law or a contract.
(countable, figuratively, uncountable)The expression of thought (the communication of meaning) in a specified way; that which communicates something, as language does.
body language; the language of the eyes
Sprache
язы́кjazýk, пи́сьменная речьpísʹmennaja rečʹ
мо́ваmóva
(language) communication by word of mouth
(countable, uncountable)A body of sounds, signs or signals by which animals communicate, and by which plants are sometimes also thought to communicate.
(countable)A computer language; a machine language.
Sprache, Sprachen
язы́к программи́рованияjazýk programmírovanija
мо́ваmóva
(uncountable)A manner of expression.
(uncountable)The particular words used in a speech or a passage of text.
The language used in the law does not permit any other interpretation.
The language he used to talk to me was obscene.
Sprache
язы́кjazýk
a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline
(euphemistic, uncountable)Profanity.
A languet, a flat plate in or below the flue pipe of an organ.
Examples
7259 sentencesLearning a foreign language is difficult.
Важко вивчити іноземну мову. — shanghainese
ruУчить иностранный язык трудно. — marafon
deEine Fremdsprache zu lernen, ist schwierig. — MUIRIEL
Are you interested in foreign languages?
Ви цікавитеся іноземними мовами? — deniko
ruВы интересуетесь иностранными языками? — Hellerick
deInteressierst du dich für Fremdsprachen? — Pfirsichbaeumchen
How many languages can you speak?
Скількома мовами ти розмовляєш? — deniko
ruНа скольких языках ты говоришь? — marafon
deWie viele Sprachen kannst du? — Pfirsichbaeumchen
English is not my native language.
Англійська - не рідна мені мова. — sadxaka
ruАнглийский — не родной мне язык. — Hellerick
deEnglisch ist nicht meine Muttersprache. — MUIRIEL
How many languages do you speak?
Скількома мовами ти розмовляєш? — deniko
ruНа скольких языках ты говоришь? — marafon
deWie viele Sprachen sprichst du? — Manfredo
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 4
By meaning 3
Origin
From Middle English langage, language, from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin *linguāFrom Middle English langage, language, from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Latin lingua (“tongue, speech, language”), from Old Latin dingua (“tongue”), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue, speech, language”). Doublet of langaj. Displaced native Old English ġeþēode.
Alteration of languet.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: languagesSynonyms
21 synonyms- the mental faculty or power of vocal communication:speech
- a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols:linguistic communication
- the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication:linguistic process
- a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline:terminologynomenclature
- the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number:lyricwords
- (language) communication by word of mouth:speechspeech communicationspoken communicationspoken languagevoice communicationoral communication
Word family
169 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable
Collocations
12 patterns- foreign language
- a foreign language
- only foreign language
- native language
- speak three languages
- the only language
- foreign language is
- how many languages
- a difficult language
- three languages
- foreign language that
- what language do