Definition of the Concept: 'Language' is most commonly expressed by words for the tongue as the most important organ of speech. So regularly in Grk., Lat., Romance, NIr., Slavic; and, beside other words, in Gmc. and Baltic, though here the use, as in NE tongue, ist now mostly poetical or archaic. Others are from verbs for 'speak', a few from words for 'lip' or 'voice'. The majority of these words are used both for a specific 'language' and for the more generic 'language, speech' as a faculty and institution (Buck).

Catalan edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Croatian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 jezik ... general ... Buck
2 narječje ... native word ... Buck
3 reći ... native word ... Buck

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

also narječje,reći

Czech edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 jazyk ... general ... Buck
2 nářeči ... native word ... Buck
3 narok ... native word ... Buck

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Danish edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 sprog ... general < MLG sprāhe Buck
2 (tunge)maal ... more commonly cpds. with old words for 'speech' ... Buck
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Dutch edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 taal ... general ... Buck
2 spraak ... general ... Buck
3 tongval ... native word cpd. of tong 'tongue' and val 'fall' (here with a notion of error, 'slip of the tongue') Buck

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

English edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 language since ME langage general fr Fr. langage; fr. Lat. lingua Buck
2 tounge since OE tunge; ME tunge general ON tunga Buck
3 speech since OE sprœc; ME speche general ... Buck

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Estonian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Finnish edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

French edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 langue ... general ... Buck
2 langage ... the generic 'language' Prov. lenguatge > It. linguaggio, Sp. lenguaje; deriv. of langue 'language', from which ist is now (but not orig.) distinguished as the generic 'language' Buck
3 patois ... native word orig. 'coarse, vulgar speech' Buck

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Frisian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

German edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 Sprache since OHG sprāhha; MHG sprāche general ... Buck
2 Zunge since OHG zunga; MHG zunge general ... Buck
3 rede only NHG only NHG ... Buck
4 OHG jiht, bijiht only OHG only OHG cf. NHG beichte Buck
5 OHG mundart only NHG only NHG whence by semantic borrowing Dan. mundart, Sw. munart; cpd. of mund 'mouth' and art 'manner' Buck

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

Hungarian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Irish edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 teanga ... ... ... ...
2 urlabhra since Ir. urlabra generic 'language, speech' ... Buck
3 bēarla since Ir. bēlre now esp. 'the English language' (i.e. 'the language' par excellence as contrasted with the native) deriv. of bēl 'lip' Buck
4 canamhain ... native word fr. canaim 'sing', also 'recite, pronounce' Buck

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Italian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 lingua ... general ... Buck
2 linguaggio ... the generic 'language' Prov. lenguatge > It. linguaggio, Sp. lenguaje; deriv. of langue 'language', from which ist is now (but not orig.) distinguished as the generic 'language' Buck
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Ladin edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Latvian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Lithuanian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 kalba ... general ... Buck
2 liežuvis ... general ... Buck
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Maltese edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Norwegian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Occitan edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Polish edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 język ... general ... Buck
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Portuguese edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Rumantsch edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Slovak edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Slovenian edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 ... ... ... ... ...
2 ... ... ... ... ...
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Spanish edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 lengua ... general ... Buck
2 lenguaje ... the generic 'language' Prov. lenguatge > It. linguaggio, Sp. lenguaje; deriv. of langue 'language', from which ist is now (but not orig.) distinguished as the generic 'language' Buck
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Swedish edit

History of Forms edit

No. Variants of Lexical Type Chronological Data Distribution Origin Sources
1 språk ... general < MLH sprāhe Buck
2 (tungo)mål ... more commonly cpds. with old words for 'speech' ... Buck
3 ... ... ... ... ...

Explanations of Changes edit

  • ...

Annotations edit

...

Information on Other Languages edit

...

Related Concepts edit

(Cf. also the guidelines for the EuroHiT Project.)