Sesquilingualism

Quick meaning: Sesquilingualism is a noun meaning The condition of being sesquilingual; the ability to speak one language fluently, and a second language only to a limited extent.

Meaning

The condition of being sesquilingual; the ability to speak one language fluently, and a second language only to a limited extent.

Example Sentences

The transitional zone can be regarded as the dialect boundary, where the two different dialects meet but there is no significant gap in mutual intelligibility due to the sesquilingualism of the native speakers.

In Pilch's terminology, sesquilingualism ("mastery of one-and-a-half languages") occurs when "all members of a given society speak the inferior [sic] language, but only some of its members speak the prestige language, usually in a more or less imperfect manner as a 'foreign language.'"

Word Forms

• sesquilingualisms

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include quinquelingualism, bilingualism, ambilingualism, multilingualism, bilingualness, monolingualism.

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