Dictionary

lingua franca en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɪŋ.ɡwə ˈfɾaŋ.kə/ (Scotland, Wales)
• /ˈlɪŋ.ɡwə ˈfɹaŋ.kə/ (British, Northern-England, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈləŋ.ɡwə ˈfɹɛŋ.kə/ (New-Zealand)
• /-ˈfɹeɪŋ-/ (US)
• /ˈlɪŋ.ɡwə ˈfɹæŋ.kə/ (US)
• /ˈliŋ-/ (US)
• /ˈlɪŋ.ɡwə ˈfɹæŋ.kə/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian lingua franca (literally “Frankish language”).

Meanings

1. A common language used by people of diverse backgrounds to communicate with one another, often a basic form of speech with simplified grammar, particularly, one that is not the first language of any of its speakers.
   • Malay is the lingua franca of several Southeast Asia countries and has been simplified by its use as a second language by non-native speakers. For example, the Malay plural is formed by repeating a word twice – buku means book and buku-buku means books. 2021 April 25, John Malathronas, “Which languages are easiest – and most difficult – for native English speakers to learn?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2022:
   • The language used by most angara across the Heleus Cluster is Shelesh, a lingua franca that was commonly used in the early days of angaran spaceflight before fading into obscurity. New connections between angaran settlements, and constant evolution of languages since their separation, means it has now seen a revival. 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Angara: Languages Codex entry:
   • Taking these cues, I rewrote and rewrote the proposal couching my problem in the bland, euphemistic language that I was rapidly learning is the lingua franca of the corporate world. 1988, Robert Jackall, “Chapter 1: Moral Probations, Old and New”, in Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers, Twentieth Anniversary edition, →ISBN, page 14:

Forms

Coordinates

vernacular · world language

Relateds

Mediterranean Lingua Franca

Synonyms

koine · trade language · link language · vehicular language

Translations (57)

fi lingua franca (common language) · id basantara (common language) · ja 共通語 (common language) · ka სალაპარაკო ენა (common language) · hu közvetítőnyelv (common language) · nb fellesspråk (common language) · da fællessprog (common language) · az ortaq dil (common language) · fr langue véhiculaire (common language) · cmn 交際語 /交际语 (common language) · ko 공통어 (common language) · ru ли́нгва-фра́нка (common language) · ko 링구아 프랑카 (common language) · tr lingua franca (common language) · ga francbhéarla (common language) · ru язы́к обще́ния (common language) · es lengua franca (common language) · th ภาษากลาง (common language) · id bahasa pasar (common language) · it lingua franca (common language) · sv lingua franca (common language) · fr lingua franca (common language) · id bahasa perantara (common language) · da lingua franca (common language) · af lingua franca (common language) · id bahasa dagang (common language) · el κοινή f γλώσσα (common language) · gl lingua franca (common language) · fr langue franche (common language) · id lingua franca (common language) · ja リンガフランカ (common language) · la lingua franca (common language) · cmn 通用語 /通用语 (common language) · bo སྤྱི་སྐད (common language) · ka gansxvavebuli erovnebis adamianebisatvis saerto sasaubro ena (common language) · ka საერთო სასაუბრო ენა (common language) · de Verkehrssprache (common language) · es lingua franca (common language) · cmn 共同語 /共同语 (common language) · pt língua franca (common language) · tr geçer dil ortak dil (common language) · tl wikang kompromiso (common language) · ja リングワ・フランカ (common language) · ru о́бщий язы́к (common language) · fa زبان میانجی (common language) · pl lingua franca (common language) · nl lingua franca (common language) · cmn 共同語言 /共同语言 (common language) · ka ლინგვა ფრანკა (common language) · el as in Italian (common language) · cmn 共通語 /共通语 (common language) · ar لُغَة تَوَاصُل مُشْتَرَك (common language) · de Lingua Franca (common language) · es lengua vehicular (common language) · nn fellesspråk (common language) · bg лингва франка (common language) · ur رابطہ زبان (common language)