LINGUA FRANCA • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Lingua Franca

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noun

Lingua Franca n.

The commercial language of the Levant, a mixture of the languages of the people of the region and of foreign traders.

Any hybrid or other language used over a wide area as a common or commercial tongue among peoples of different speech.

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Etymology of 'Lingua Franca'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Lingua Franca" Quotes from Famous Books

... (yesterday) we came in. Zeyneb has been very good ever since she has been with us, she will soon be a complete 'dragowoman,' for she is learning Arabic from Omar and English from us fast. In Janet's house she only heard a sort of 'lingua franca' of Greek, Italian, Nubian and English. She asked me 'How piccolo bint?' (How's the little girl?) a fine specimen of Alexandrian. Ross is here, and will dine with me to-night before starting by an express train which ...

— Letters from Egypt • Lucie Duff Gordon

Words linked to "Lingua Franca" : koine, linguistic communication, language