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

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Etymology

Origin of mother tongue

1350–1400; Middle English moder tonge

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mother tongue

“And in honor of our shared Targaryen lineage, Emilia is going to address you in High Valyrian — our mother tongue — and I will translate.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

He remains true to his Punjabi roots, wears his turban as a sign of pride, and sings in his mother tongue.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Though Vargas’ mother was educated in the American school system, she made a point of preserving her family’s mother tongue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

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 instance, although he can understand his mother tongue, and speak it fluently, he cannot read or write it with even modest proficiency.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

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Related Words

• first language

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