[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/lingua/)

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# lingua

noun (lingua); Latin word

«lingua» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (Latin) «Lingua» is the Latin word for tongue and language. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#m1)
2. In English it appears mainly in the phrase «lingua franca», a language used by people who speak different languages so they can understand each other. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#m2)
3. (medicine) The lingua is a rare medical word for the tongue. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#m3)

### In the lessons

In language lessons it explains words like «linguist», «bilingual» and «language», which come from it. Today English is a lingua franca in many parts of the world. Phrases: «lingua franca».

### Examples

- «Lingua» is Latin for tongue. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x1)
- English is a lingua franca for many travellers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x2)
- Swahili is a lingua franca in East Africa. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x3)
- Long ago, Latin was the lingua franca of Europe. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x4)
- «Bilingual» comes from «bi» (two) and «lingua» (tongue). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x5)
- A linguist studies languages, from «lingua». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x6)
- In the market, they spoke a lingua franca to trade. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x7)
- (Italian) «Lingua» also means tongue and language in Italian. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/#x8)

### Note

Not an ordinary English word alone; use «lingua franca» as a whole phrase. Say «LING-gwuh». Plural of lingua franca: lingua francas or linguae francae.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «lingua» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lingua/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«lingua» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/lingua.html) on Mova free.