Lingual

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈlɪŋ.ɡwəl/

Definitions

1. Concerning the anatomical aspects of the tongue or the characteristics of languages and their usage, it encompasses both speech mechanisms and linguistic analysis
2. Pertaining to both the physical structure associated with the tongue and the properties of various languages, it addresses aspects of articulation and communication
3. Relating to the anatomical features of the tongue as well as the study of languages and their functions, it involves both the biological and the linguistic dimensions of communication

Etymology: "Lingual" is a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin "linguālis," built from "lingua," meaning "tongue" or "language," plus the adjectival suffix "-ālis," which gives the sense "pertaining to." English took it directly from that Latin source rather than through French, which is why it looks so close to its parent word. The Latin "lingua" traces back to a much older root that also gave rise to the same idea of the tongue as the organ of speech. Its ancestry reaches into the prehistoric Italic languages, and "lingua" itself came to mean both the body part and the speech that organ produces, a double sense that has stayed with the family of words descended from it. "Lingual" appears in English mainly as a technical adjective, used in anatomy and phonetics. It is also a doublet of "lingualis," a closely related form in Latin that English later borrowed in its own right.

Synonyms: language-related, verbal, speech-related

Antonyms: nonverbal, silent