ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Proto-language

Definition & Meaning

Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Proto-language is a noun meaning (linguistics) The early utterances produced by an infant before it acquires a true language.

Meaning

(linguistics) The early utterances produced by an infant before it acquires a true language.

More Meanings

  1. (linguistics) A language which is reconstructed by examining similarities in existing languages in order to deduce the form and aspects of a common ancestor language that is no longer known.

Word Forms

Synonyms for proto-language

Depending on context, synonyms include ur-language.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include protolanguage, urlanguage, paleolinguistics, proto-human, proto-ancestor, archaeolinguistics.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

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