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
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Recent Examples of mother tongue
The theme is the conflict between mother tongues and other tongues.
—
Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Czesław Miłosz found in himself the heart to give up the terrain of his mother tongue, and to keep writing poems in Polish.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
Miranda is a rare instance of Björk writing her lyrics entirely in Icelandic, and her melodies sound lovely and in some ways more natural in her mother tongue.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2025
But most also want their children to first gain a strong grounding in their mother tongue.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother tongue
Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Czesław Miłosz found in himself the heart to give up the terrain of his mother tongue, and to keep writing poems in Polish.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
Miranda is a rare instance of Björk writing her lyrics entirely in Icelandic, and her melodies sound lovely and in some ways more natural in her mother tongue.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2025
But most also want their children to first gain a strong grounding in their mother tongue.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother tongue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother tongue
Noun
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There are also standards about the detention itself, including access to legal counsel, abuse prevention and language access.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
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Users will be able to create their AI Twin in a few minutes by taking a selfie and talking for a few minutes introducing themselves and an AI Twin of them is created that can talk, chat, and sound just like them and can talk in 32 languages.—
Elizabeth Stanton,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Ann was ultimately presented with hundreds of sentences, all based on a limited vocabulary of 1,024 words.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2025
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Mastering language—with its nuanced vocabulary and conceptual frameworks—amplifies your ability to inspire teams and drive innovation.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Princess Charlotte sticking her tongue out during a royal engagement and sending Princess Kate into a fit of giggles went newly viral on TikTok.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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But more often than not, the sharp tongue and the sly eye roll serve a deeper purpose: survival.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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To prepare, Reid worked with a dialect coach and learned the specific physicality associated with Natalia's condition.—
Lee Habeeb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
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In the former Scandinavian territories, there are words that worked their way into the regional dialect.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Swedes actually have an idiom for this phenomenon.—
Anna Moeslein,
Parents,
28 Feb. 2025
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All kinds of regional idioms, local expressions, and culturally specific terms might fade out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
29 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Mother tongue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20tongue. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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