mother tongue

Meaning

1. The language one first learned; the language one grew up with; one's native language.
2. The language spoken by one’s ancestors.
3. The language spoken by one's mother, when it differs from that spoken by one's father.
4. Informal speech, as opposed to educated language.

Opposite of

father tongue

Synonyms

native language

first language

native tongue

maternal language

Yiddish

primary language

vernacular

native speaker

mother language

Translations

langue maternelle

Muttersprache

moedertaal

lengua materna

madrelingua

μητρική γλώσσα

língua materna

llengua materna

lingua materna

Erstsprache

lingua madre

anadili

اللغة الأم

madre lingua

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmʌð.ə ˌtʌŋ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mother tonge

Cognate with Old Norse: móðurtunga

In summary

From Middle English mother tonge, modyr tong, equivalent to mother + tongue. Compare Old Norse móðurtunga (“mother tongue”).