Dictionary

equilingualism en · NOUN

Etymology

From equilingual + -ism. First use appears c. 1947. See cite below.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The state or property of being equilingual.
   • All investigators agree that bilingualism is not equilingualism. 1947, Gwan Leong Tan, Bilingual Education and Its Inherent Problems, With Special Reference to Burma, page 136:
   • Between these minimalist and maximalist criteria for bilingualism lie a whole range of possible definitions, and various authors have situated their requirements at intervals along a proficiency continuum, from ambilingualism, equilingualism, and diglossia to semilingualism (see below). 2004, Michel Paradis, A Neurolinguistic Theory of Bilingualism, page 2:
   • Equilingualism is fair because it tends to even out the advantages and disadvantages of being English- or French-speaking, with minorities of each language being in comparable positions. 1981, Canada, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (contributor), Language and Society, volumes 1-6:
   • But considering the potential role of theory in informing and guiding practice, the real point of interest is whether equilingualism is desirable as a goal in second language learning and teaching. 1975, University of Ifẹ Press (publisher), Odù, volumes 10-16, page 92:
   • It is shown that equilingualisms, native competence in each of a bilingual's languages, is common when the languages are acquired in childhood but cannot generally be obtained after puberty. 1979, Jacob Ornstein-Galicia, Robert N. St. Clair (editors), Bilingualism and Bilingual Education, New Readings and Insights, page 282:

Forms

Relateds

ambilingualism