Where does “language” come from?
language (Middle French) comes from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin linguaticum, from Latin lingua, from Latin -ula, from Proto-Indo-European -tlom, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
language (Middle French): language (style of communicating)
Definitions
- language (style of communicating)
Ancestry of “language”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | language | language (style of communicating) |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | linguaticum | language |
| 3 | Latin | lingua | tongue; a speech; an utterance or expression |
| 4 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |