lingua franca

noun

lin·gua fran·ca ˈliŋ-gwə-ˈfraŋ-kə

plural lingua francas or linguae francae ˈliŋ-gwē-ˈfraŋ-(ˌ)kē

often capitalized : a common language consisting of Italian mixed with French, Spanish, Greek, and Arabic that was formerly spoken in Mediterranean ports

: any of various languages used as common or commercial tongues among peoples of diverse speech

English is used as a lingua franca among many airline pilots.

: something resembling a common language

movies are the lingua franca of the twentieth century—

Gore Vidal

Did you know?

In the Middle Ages, the Arabs of the eastern Mediterranean referred to all Europeans as Franks (the name of the tribe that once occupied the land we call France). Since there was plenty of Arab-European trade, the traders in the Mediterranean ports eventually developed a trading language combining Italian, Arabic, and other languages, which almost everyone could more or less understand, and it became known as the "Frankish language", or lingua franca. Some languages actually succeed in becoming lingua francas without changing much. So, when the Roman empire became vast and mighty, Latin became the important lingua franca; and at a meeting between Japanese and Vietnamese businesspeople today, English may well be the only language spoken.

Examples of lingua franca in a Sentence

English is used as a lingua franca among many airline pilots.

Recent Examples on the Web Martínez and Hernández are committed to keeping the Italian American classics going, even as Spanish increasingly has become the lingua franca of this kitchen. —

Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 30 July 2024 Greek was the lingua franca of the time and of historian Flavius Josephus, who was born around C.E. 37. —

Lynn Whidden, Scientific American, 26 July 2024 Today the business world uses probability theory as its lingua franca, and economic ventures are reframed as bets. —

Kelly Clancy, Scientific American, 16 July 2024 Both of your parents are artists, and art-making was the lingua franca of your household. —

Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for lingua franca

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lingua franca.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, Frankish language

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of lingua franca was in 1619

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lingua franca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lingua%20franca. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

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