Native language

noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    One's first language, learned in early childhood.

    "Mary Katharine, one of the things in California, kids apparently who speak English as a second language have a year in which they can take classes that are taught in their native language in addition to English, and some people would say that that should help them really get established and after that, you're on your own, go take all the tests in English."

  2. 2
    the language that a person has spoken from earliest childhood wordnet
  3. 3
    The language of a Native or Aboriginal people.

    "Mary Sarah Nelson, 93, is not the last of her tribe – there are four dozen left – but the last speaker of its language. The federal attempt to grant tax credits to Native American parents whose children prove fluent in Native languages has failed. When she switches from English to Eyak, there is a sadness to her that neither language can express."

Etymology

From native + language.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Want a quick game? Try Word Finder.