native language
14
2.0
- noun
- /ˈneɪtɪv ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
:
lengua materna
- A score of 1 indicated that both parents reported English as their native language.
- speak their native language
- native language instruction
- native language proficiency
It's because I like Aramaic, which is closer to my native language, the Levantine dialect.
- It's because I like Aramaic, which is closer to my native language, the Levantine dialect.
- Anybody know what's the equivalent of WH words in in your native language?
- And even when I've gone back to school as an adult to learn my native language, the words don't stick in my brain.
- A study published last year found that from birth, from the moment of birth, babies cry in the accent of their mother's native language.
- They were not allowed to speak their native language in break rooms, while on breaks in the cafeterias or in the bathrooms.
- Of course, the people of Tlone, it's their native language pronier, right?
- Well, I mean your native language the the most of the dictionary is in the left hemisphere.
Examples
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Over half had received no formal education and were illiterate in their native language.
Academic text (2011) -
And even when I've gone back to school as an adult to learn my native language, the words don't stick in my brain.
-
What is your native language?
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Communication using the native language of the patients is an obviously needed step.
Academic text (2017) -
Two male graduate students, both of whom spoke English as their native language, participated in the experiments.
Academic text (1991) -
Much of the population is first-generation immigrants who speak only their native language or limited English.
Academic text (1994) -
The studies included in this synthesis focus almost exclusively on ELLs whose native language is Spanish.
Academic text (2012) -
Communication should be in the parent's or guardian's native language and free of professional jargon.
Academic text (1992) -
In the late 1960s, Fairfax started native-language instruction for its Spanish-speaking and Korean students.
Academic text (1991) -
What is your native language?
Synonyms
12
2.2
The language a person learns from birth and speaks at home
5
2.7
The first language a person learns at home
The language a person learns at home from birth
How English
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the language that a person has spoken from earliest childhood' is directly derivable from combining 'native' (originating by birth) with 'language' (a system of speech). This compositional meaning is cross-linguistically common and follows a straightforward adjective+noun pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Native language comes from the image of being native ('born') into a family that speaks a certain language. So it means the speech you learn first as a child, a person's 'first language'.