as in language
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
although the anthropologist could speak the local language fairly well, she was always glad to find someone who shared her mother tongue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mother tongue
And when this Medellín native greets me in his mother tongue, the melody of his voice is nearly as tender as his ballads.
—
Patricia Alfonso Tortolani, Allure, 23 July 2024
In this respect, Franklin and Washington, whose language is their hereditary mother tongue, unsophisticated by modern grammar, present as pure models of genuine English, as Addison or Swift.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 19 Apr. 2024
Gutter language in many ways erodes our lovely mother tongue and demeans those individuals who use it.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2024
Similarly bilharzia in my mother tongue – Shona from Zimbabwe – is called the disease of cognitive function.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mother tongue 
Patricia Alfonso Tortolani, Allure, 23 July 2024
In this respect, Franklin and Washington, whose language is their hereditary mother tongue, unsophisticated by modern grammar, present as pure models of genuine English, as Addison or Swift.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 19 Apr. 2024
Gutter language in many ways erodes our lovely mother tongue and demeans those individuals who use it.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2024
Similarly bilharzia in my mother tongue – Shona from Zimbabwe – is called the disease of cognitive function.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mother tongue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother tongue
Noun
-
The platform launches with a slate spanning 12+ languages and 10+ genres, featuring everything from video-on-demand content to free gaming, radio streaming, and 65 live channels.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024
-
The language barrier has always been the catalyst for most problems when working with someone who speaks a foreign language.Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Regrettably, the catchy moniker has slinked into our vocabulary, and we are seemingly stuck with it.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
-
The reports began introducing the rhetoric of climate change straight into the heart of the far right’s vocabulary.Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Campbell says the touch points—the tongue, collar, sockliner, lining, laces and pull tab—were all updated to invite a feeling of softness and comfort.Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
-
The neuroscientist and brain surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, was studying the brain activity behind speech, that precise and delicate neural choreography by which lips, jaw, tongue, and larynx produce meaningful sounds.Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
This brings the show to 58 categories, and songs will only be considered if their lyrics are at least 60% written in Spanish, Portuguese or a native regional dialect.Kaitlyn Schwanemann, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
-
His father worked as a sports journalist and his mother as a dialect coach.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Working across styles and idioms including classical, jazz, pop, R&B, and film scoring—and breaking ground for African American achievement in the entertainment industries—Jones has garnered the highest levels of critical and commercial acclaim.Jem Aswad, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
-
The New York alto saxophonist, composer, vocalist and bandleader makes her Bay Area debut this weekend with a series of gigs, introducing a beguiling body of tunes shaped by her Chinese American heritage and deep engagement with various jazz, folk and pop idioms.Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near mother tongue
Cite this Entry
“Mother tongue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20tongue. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share