Definition

Noun 1. One's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next. This refers to the primary language a person acquires naturally from infancy, typically from their family and immediate community. It is often the language of one's ethnic or cultural group and is usually the language in which a person thinks and feels most comfortable.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Her first language is Spanish, but she speaks English fluently.
  • Children learn their first language through interaction with their parents.
  • The study compared the cognitive skills of bilingual children to those with only one first language.

Advanced Usage

• "First language acquisition": The natural, subconscious process through which a child learns their native language(s).
  • Theories of first language acquisition are central to linguistics.
• "First language attrition": The gradual loss of proficiency in one's native language, often due to prolonged use of a second language.
  • Some immigrants experience first language attrition after many years abroad.

Variants and Related Words

• Native language (n): A direct synonym for "first language."
  • English is his native language.
• Mother tongue (n): A common, often more emotive, synonym for "first language."
  • She writes poetry in her mother tongue.
• L1 (n): An abbreviation used in linguistics and language teaching to denote a first or native language.
  • The study examined the influence of the learner's L1 on their pronunciation.

Synonyms

• Native tongue
• Primary language

Related Phrases

• First language influence: The effect a speaker's native language has on their use of a second language.
  • The student's grammatical errors show a clear first language influence.
• First language maintenance: Efforts to preserve and continue using one's native language, especially in a multilingual context.
  • The community program focuses on first language maintenance for the children.

Noun

1. one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next