لغة

Arabic

Etymology

Like لَغَا‎ (laḡā, “to speak”), from the root ل غ و‎ (l-ḡ-w). Related to Hebrew לוע \ לֹעַ‎ (lṓaʿ, “throat, pharynx, maw”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lu.ɣa/

• Audio

  (file)

Regional pronunciation:

• Kuwaiti: IPA^(key): /ˈlʊʁə/

Noun

لُغَة • (luḡa) f (plural لُغَات‎ (luḡāt))

1. language

   Synonym: لِسَان‎ (lisān)

2. dialect, vernacular

   Synonym: لَهْجَة‎ (lahja)

3. jargon
4. (with the definite article) Classical Arabic

Declension

Declension of noun لُغَة (luḡa)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	لُغَة luḡa	اللُّغَة‎ al-luḡa	لُغَة luḡat
Nominative	لُغَةٌ luḡatun	اللُّغَةُ‎ al-luḡatu	لُغَةُ luḡatu
Accusative	لُغَةً luḡatan	اللُّغَةَ‎ al-luḡata	لُغَةَ luḡata
Genitive	لُغَةٍ luḡatin	اللُّغَةِ‎ al-luḡati	لُغَةِ luḡati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	لُغَتَيْن‎ luḡatayn	اللُّغَتَيْن‎ al-luḡatayn	لُغَتَيْ‎ luḡatay
Nominative	لُغَتَانِ‎ luḡatāni	اللُّغَتَانِ‎ al-luḡatāni	لُغَتَا‎ luḡatā
Accusative	لُغَتَيْنِ‎ luḡatayni	اللُّغَتَيْنِ‎ al-luḡatayni	لُغَتَيْ‎ luḡatay
Genitive	لُغَتَيْنِ‎ luḡatayni	اللُّغَتَيْنِ‎ al-luḡatayni	لُغَتَيْ‎ luḡatay
Plural	sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	لُغَات‎ luḡāt	اللُّغَات‎ al-luḡāt	لُغَات‎ luḡāt
Nominative	لُغَاتٌ‎ luḡātun	اللُّغَاتُ‎ al-luḡātu	لُغَاتُ‎ luḡātu
Accusative	لُغَاتٍ‎ luḡātin	اللُّغَاتِ‎ al-luḡāti	لُغَاتِ‎ luḡāti
Genitive	لُغَاتٍ‎ luḡātin	اللُّغَاتِ‎ al-luḡāti	لُغَاتِ‎ luḡāti

Derived terms

• لُغَة أَجْنَبِيَّة‎ (luḡa ʾajnabiyya, “foreign language”)
• لُغَة عَامِّيَّة‎ (luḡa ʿāmmiyya, “popular language”)
• لُغَة الْمُحَادَة‎ (luḡat al-muḥāda, “colloquial language”)
• لُغَة الْمِحْنَة‎ (luḡat al-miḥna, “professional jargon, slang”)
• لُغَة الْمَوْلِد‎ (luḡat al-mawlid, “mother tongue”)
• أَهْل اللُّغَة‎ (ʾahl al-luḡa, “philologists, lexicographers”)
• عِلْم اللُّغَة‎ (ʿilm al-luḡa, “lexicography, philology, linguistics”)
• لُغَوِيّ‎ (luḡawiyy, “linguistic, philological, lexicographical”)

Related terms

• لَغَا‎ (laḡā)
• لَغِيَ‎ (laḡiya)
• أَلْغَى‎ (ʾalḡā)
• لَغْوَة‎ (laḡwa, “dialect, idiom, vernacular”)

Descendants

• Gulf Arabic: لغة‎ (luḡa)
• → Azerbaijani: lüğət
• → Malay: loghat (“dialect”)
  • Indonesian: logat
• → Ottoman Turkish: لغت‎ (lüğat)
  • Turkish: lügat
• → Persian: لغت‎ (loğat)
• → Swahili: lugha
• → Tajik: луғат (luġat)
• → Urdu: لغت‎ (luġat, “dictionary”)
• → Uzbek: lug'at
• → Uyghur: لۇغەت‎ (lughet)

References

• Wehr, Hans (1979), “لغو”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN