English
language
Language comes from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Latin lingua ‘tongue, speech’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s‘tongue, speech, language’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dn̥ɣwā‘tongue’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEdingua‘tongue’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElingua‘tongue, speech, language’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*linguāticumreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400language
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500langage‘language’
- Englishearliest quotation 1655language
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s‘tongue, speech, language’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dn̥ɣwā‘tongue’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEdingua‘tongue’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElingua‘tongue, speech, language’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*linguāticumreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400language
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500langage‘language’
- Englishearliest quotation 1655language
Earliest quotation: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […]: “Others were languaged in such doubtful expressions that they…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s ‘tongue, speech, language’
through Latin dingua ‘pre-classical form of lingua’
linguistics, sublingual, 21 more
through Latin lingua ‘tongue, speech, language’
linguistic, bilingual, lingo, linguist, lingual, lingua, linguine, 23 more
Today it means
noun A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s / language