language

language
lan|guage
W1S2 [ˈlæŋgwıdʒ] n
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1¦(English/French/Arabic etc)¦
2¦(communication)¦
3¦(style/type of words)¦
4¦(computers)¦
5¦(swearing)¦
6 strong language
7¦(sounds/signs/actions)¦
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[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: langue 'tongue, language', from Latin lingua]
1.) ¦(ENGLISH/FRENCH/ARABIC ETC)¦ [U and C]
a system of communication by written or spoken words, which is used by the people of a particular country or area
▪ How many languages do you speak ?
▪ It took him several years to master the language .
▪ common problems for foreign language learners
▪ a book intended for language teachers
▪ Andrea's native language is German.
▪ For the majority of Tanzanians, Swahili is their second language .
▪ She had lived in Italy for years, and her command of the language was excellent.
▪ I didn't speak much Japanese, and I was worried that the language barrier might be a problem.
▪ one of the best known poems in the English language
▪ The official language of Ghana is English.
▪ a degree in modern languages
▪ a dead language such as Latin
2.) ¦(COMMUNICATION)¦[U]
the use of written or spoken words to communicate
▪ the origins of language
spoken/written language
3.) ¦(STYLE/TYPE OF WORDS)¦[U]
a) the words and style of writing used in poetry or writing
▪ literary language
▪ poetic language
b) the words used in a particular activity or job
language of
▪ the language of science
legal/medical/technical etc language
ordinary/everyday language
4.) ¦(COMPUTERS)¦ [U and C]
technical a system of instructions for operating a computer
▪ a programming language for the web
5.) ¦(SWEARING)¦[U] informal
words that most people think are offensive
mind/watch your language
spoken (=stop swearing)
bad/foul/abusive language
6.) strong language
a) angry words used to tell people exactly what you mean
b) words that most people think are offensive
= ↑swearing
7.) ¦(SOUNDS/SIGNS/ACTIONS)¦ [U and C]
signs, movements, or sounds that express ideas or feelings
language of
▪ the language of bees
▪ the language of dolphins
→speak the same language at ↑speak
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COLLOCATES for sense 1
speak a language
master a language (=succeed in learning a language)
language teacher/student/learner
foreign language
somebody's first language/native language (=the first language someone learned)
somebody's second language
somebody's command of a language (=someone's ability to speak a language)
the language barrier (=the problem of communicating with people who speak a different language)
the English/Japanese/German etc language
the official language
modern languages (=languages that are still spoken)
dead language (=a language that is no longer spoken)
WORD FOCUS: language
dialect the form of a language that is spoken in a particular area
slang informal words used by people who belong to a particular group, for example young people, criminals etc
jargon words used by people who do a particular job or are interested in a particular subject, which ordinary people cannot easily understand
terminology words used in a particular subject such as science or medicine
journalese language often used in newspapers
legalese (disapproving) language used by lawyers or in legal documents, which is difficult for ordinary people to understand
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Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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