Lingua-franca meaning
A medium of communication between peoples of different languages.
noun
A mixture of Italian with Provençal, French, Spanish, Arabic, Greek, and Turkish, formerly spoken on the eastern Mediterranean coast.
noun
A hybrid language based on Italian, with Spanish, French, Greek, and Arabic elements, spoken, esp. formerly, in certain Mediterranean ports.
noun
Something that is like a common language.
noun
It implies a common, or standard, language. The term is used in the information industry to refer to the most-widely used format, protocol or command language for a particular purpose. Its actual meaning is "Frankish language," which is spoken in various Mediterranean ports and is a combination of Italian, Spanish, French, Greek, Arabic and Turkish. Its original meaning also implies a hybrid or mixture of languages.
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A common language used by people of diverse backgrounds to communicate with one another, often a basic form of speech with simplified grammar.
noun
Origin of lingua-franca
- Italian lingua language franca Frankish (that is, European)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Italian lingua franca (“Frankish language")
From Wiktionary