see|lingua Franca
English
Etymology
From It. #Italian|lingua franca.
Noun
wikipedia
lingua franca (plural: see usage note)
#a language used by people of diverse speech to communicate with one another, often a basic form of speech with simplified grammar. Nowadays, this term mainly refers to the English language.
Usage notes
On the plural form: This phrase, being originally Italian, would have as its original plural lingue franche, which is rare but attested in English. The pedantic English plural would be linguas franca, as lingua �language� is the head noun; similar words that pluralize on this pattern are son-in-law|sons-in-law and attorney general|attorneys general. The most common plural in English, however, appears to be lingua francas. There is also a form linguae francae which adopts a Latinate reading of the term; this form is suggested in dictionaries alongside lingua francas, but also appears to be rare in English.
See also
global language
international language
Italian
Noun
lingua franca
- The :w:Mediterranean Lingua Franca|Mediterranean Lingua Franca, a common language spoken in Mediterranean ports in centuries past (consisting of Italian mixed with French, Spanish, Arabic and some Greek words and used by sailors of different countries to communicate with one another).
es:lingua franca
fr:lingua franca
ja:lingua franca
ru:lingua franca
te:lingua franca
tr:lingua franca
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