One's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next.
1
But the American has lost the elementary uses of his mother tongue.
2
Hay Stockard swore, harshly, in the rugged monosyllables of his mother tongue.
3
They understand the Spanish language, but have not forgotten their mother tongue.
4
Russian, German and Hungarian have made French seem like my mother tongue-
5
Dutch meant freedom to him; his mother tongue had become a burden.
1
Today, the first language is English, and the second language is Chinese.
2
Children whose first language isn't English have a hard time getting by.
3
I am a South African citizen, and English is my first language.
4
Being deaf, I communicate in my first language - Irish Sign Language.
5
Phillip switched easily to the French that had been his first language.
1
Besides, Italian was Juana's maternal language.