What Is Bilingual? Definition And Usage Of This Term
WHAT IS BILINGUAL – In this topic, we will first know and learn the definition of this term and how is this term used in sentences.
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Definition
The Oxford Dictionary defines the term as the following:
- (of a person) speaking two languages fluently.
- (of a text or an activity) written or conducted in two languages.
- (of a country, city, or other community) using two languages, especially officially.
- a person fluent in two languages.
Meanwhile, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines this term as the following:
- having or expressed in two languages
- using or able to use two languages especially with equal fluency
- of or relating to bilingual education
Synonyms
Here are some of the following synonyms:
- multilingual
Etymology
It is an mid 19th century term which is from the Latin term bilinguis, which is a combination of the prefix bi- which means ‘having two’, lingua or ‘tongue‘, and the suffix –al.
Examples
Here are some examples of the usage of this term:
- According to the statistical returns there were 139 administrative sub-districts where only Czech was spoken and 95 speaking only German, as opposed to only five bilingual ones.
- In the bilingual inscriptions, Tibetan and Chinese, set up at Lhasa in 822, and published by Bushell in 1880, we remark that the silent letters were pronounced: Tib.
- In the 9th century, as shown by the bilingual Tibeto-Chinese edict at Lhasa, there was relatively little difference between the spoken and the written language.
- In general, the later books of the Old Testament show, roughly speaking, a greater simplicity and uniformity of style, as well as a tendency to Aramaisms. For some centuries after the Exile, the people of Palestine must have been bilingual, speaking Aramaic for ordinary purposes, but still at least understanding Hebrew.
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