With the Greeks the term αγλωσσος, "tongueless," was used synonymous with βαρβαρος, "barbarian" of all who were not Greek.
Ever since then the tongueless lioness has been the emblem of silence.
His escort looked at him, opened his mouth, and showed Grant he was tongueless.
Interesting details, perhaps, without which the nine in ten might as well be tongueless or tongue-tied for ever.
Thou didst love Geordie Dempster; and thy love was weak indeed, if it is to be scared by brainless tongues or tongueless skulls.
In a horrid, tongueless way, Stock fired the other to act, and staggered back into the cabin.
For I spoke no word, but dumb as a tongueless man, I allowed myself to be knocked backward into the box.
And his eye was the true soldier's eye, comprehending by signs, investing with life what was tongueless else.
This District ought to have one representative in Congress, a representative with a right to speak—not a tongueless dummy.
She saw him come hopping from rock to rock, his wagging finger, shapeless face, tongueless voice.
Old English tunge "organ of speech, speech, language," from Proto-Germanic *tungon (cf. Old Saxon and Old Norse tunga, Old Frisian tunge, Middle Dutch tonghe, Dutch tong, Old High German zunga, German Zunge, Gothic tuggo), from PIE *dnghwa- (cf. Latin lingua "tongue, speech, language," from Old Latin dingua; Old Irish tenge, Welsh tafod, Lithuanian liezuvis, Old Church Slavonic jezyku).
For substitution of -o- for -u-, see come. The spelling of the ending of the word apparently is a 14c. attempt to indicate proper pronunciation, but the result is "neither etymological nor phonetic, and is only in a very small degree historical" [OED]. Meaning "foreign language" is from 1530s. Tongue-tied is first recorded 1520s.
"to touch with the tongue, lick," 1680s, from tongue (n.). Earlier as a verb it meant "drive out by order or reproach" (late 14c.). Related: Tongued; tonguing.
tongue (tŭng)
n.
A mobile mass of muscular tissue that is covered with mucous membrane, occupies much of the cavity of the mouth, forms part of its floor, bears the organ of taste, and assists in chewing, swallowing, and speech.
