Mediterranean Lingua Franca

See also: Mediterranean lingua franca

English

Alternative forms

• Mediterranean lingua franca

Etymology

From the addition of Mediterranean to distinguish the particular sense of Lingua Franca from generic uses of the term.

Proper noun

Mediterranean Lingua Franca

1. (historical) Sabir, the pidgin Italian-based lingua franca spoken along the Mediterranean to facilitate trade from the 11th to the 19th centuries.
   • 2008, Jean-Benoit Nadeau et al., The Story of French, section 34:

     The Mediterranean lingua franca never evolved into anyone's mother tongue, which is why there are very few written traces of it.

Usage notes

Typically preceded by "the".

Synonyms

• Sabir
• Lingua Franca