lengua

tongue; language

noun LEN-gwah Less Common

Origin: From Latin lingua (tongue, language).

Usage Note

Lengua means both the physical tongue and a natural language — habla tres lenguas (she speaks three languages). It is a near-synonym of idioma in the language sense, but lengua is preferred in academic/linguistic contexts (lengua materna = mother tongue). Cooked tongue is also a dish (lengua de res is beef tongue). Do not confuse with lenguaje, which means 'language' in the sense of a system of signs or style of expression.

Examples

"La lengua oficial es el español."

Natural Translation

The official language is Spanish.

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