mother tongue

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of mother tongue

1350–1400; Middle English moder tonge

Example Sentences

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

It just created this real, almost, like, subconscious intimacy because it’s the mother tongue.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

As the young children enthusiastically sang out phrases, Esau interjected occasionally to correct their pronunciation of the distinct sounds and deep clicks of her mother tongue, of which she is the last first-language speaker.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

Of these, nearly 14% stayed home before starting school, compared to only 6% of children whose mother tongue was French.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2024

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