The Silent Letters in Tongue Were Added Later
The tongue is the muscular organ in the mouth, and also a language. The Old English word was tunge, and the French-looking spelling came later.
The tongue is the muscular organ in the mouth, and by extension a language. The spelling is a nuisance for no good reason: Old English wrote *tunge*, and the -gue ending was added by scribes imitating French words like *vogue* and *league*. The double meaning of organ and language is old and widespread, and Latin did the same with *lingua*.
- The organ in the mouth. *He bit his tongue.*
- A language. *Her mother tongue.*
- A flap on a shoe. *The tongue of the boot.*
- Tongue in cheek — not meant seriously. *A tongue-in-cheek review.*
- Hold your tongue — stay silent. *Hold your tongue.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tongue | A dry tongue. |
| Plural | tongues | Speaking in tongues. |
| Adjective | tongued | Sharp-tongued. |
| Compound | tongue-tied | Completely tongue-tied. |
| Latin parallel | lingua | Language and tongue. |
- The word was on the tip of my tongue.A recognised memory phenomenon.
- English is not his mother tongue.Language.
- He said it tongue in cheek.Irony.
Tongue idioms
- On the tip of my tongue — almost remembered
- Bite your tongue — stop yourself from speaking
- Tongue-tied — unable to speak from nerves
- Silver-tongued — persuasive
- Slip of the tongue — an accidental misstatement
Old English *tunge*, from Proto-Germanic, related to Latin *lingua*. The unetymological -gue spelling entered in the Middle English period under French influence.
Why is tongue spelled that way?
The -gue ending was added by scribes copying French spellings. The Old English word was tunge, which matches the pronunciation better.
Why does tongue mean language?
The organ stands for what it produces. Latin lingua works the same way, and it is a common pattern across languages.