mother tongue

American  

[muhth-er tuhng, muhth-er tuhng] / ˈmʌð ər ˈtʌŋ, ˈmʌð ər ˌtʌŋ /

noun

mother tongues plural

1. the language first learned by a person; native language.

2. mother language.

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mother tongue British  

noun

1. the language first learned by a child

2. a language from which another has evolved

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mother tongues
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mother tongue

1350–1400; Middle English moder tonge

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mother tongue

But that authenticity was also palpable in Martin’s performance on Sunday — a vindication for all the years his mother tongue was manipulated in the mainstream.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026

The Kenyan's work spanned six decades and two languages - first English, and then his mother tongue, Kikuyu.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025

He dropped his English name, James, and resolved to write only in the language of the Kikuyu people, his mother tongue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

For Esau, not being able to speak her mother tongue was "a wound".

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025

But still I couldn’t enter any tribal university because I had failed my mother tongue.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• first language