Linguistics - What is Linguis Franka?

lingua franca

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noun, plural lingua francas, linguae francae
[ling-gwee fran-see]
1. any language that is widely used as a means of communication among speakers of other languages.
2. (initial capital letter) the Italian-Provençal jargon (with elements of Spanish, French, Greek, Arabic, and Turkish) formerly widely used in eastern Mediterranean ports.

Origin of lingua franca
1670-80; < Italian: literally, Frankish tongue
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