killer language en · NOUN
Etymology
The phrase was first used by Anne Pakir in 1991 in reference to English.
Meanings
-
A dominant and prestigious language which gradually causes extinction of other, especially minor languages.
It is only when the state adopts a trade language as official and, in a fit of linguistic nationalism, foists it upon its citizens, that trade languages become "killer languages."
2012, Danny Hieber, Mises Daily, Why Do Languages Die?:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| killer languages | Number=Plur | lexicographic |