Meaning & use
lingua franca
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A language used for communication between people who have different native languages.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or 'the': English is a lingua franca.
Patterns
- a lingua franca for something
- serve as a lingua franca
English is often used as a lingua franca in international business.
Swahili serves as a lingua franca in East Africa.
In many scientific conferences, English acts as the lingua franca.
nouncountablefigurative
Something that is used as a common means of communication between different groups.
Grammar: Used figuratively: music can be a lingua franca.
Patterns
- a lingua franca of something
- become a lingua franca
Music has become a lingua franca for young people around the world.
The internet has created a lingua franca of emojis and memes.
Word forms
| plural | lingua francas |
|---|---|
| plural (formal) | linguae francae |
Common combinations
- serve as a lingua franca
- English serves as a lingua franca in many international organizations.
- use something as a lingua franca
- They use French as a lingua franca in parts of Africa.
- a common lingua franca
- Spanish is a common lingua franca in the Americas.
Synonyms and how they differ
- common language
- A more general term; 'lingua franca' specifically refers to a language used between speakers of different native languages.
- trade language
- A language used for trade between groups; similar but narrower in meaning than 'lingua franca'.
Commonly confused: lingua franca or lingua franca?
lingua franca vs lingua franca
Not to be confused with 'lingua franca' as the original Mediterranean trade language; in modern use it means any common language.
Practice
What is a 'lingua franca'?
Choose one answer.
A lingua franca is a bridge language, so option 2 is correct. Option 1 is the opposite. Options 3 and 4 are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lingua franca”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.