meaning - Is "mother tongue" exactly the same as "native language"?


Someone just told me "mother tongue" is exactly the same as "native language". I may be wrong, but I think the first one is not a good translation.


Am I wrong?



Answer



"Mother tongue" and "native language" are set phrases that both refer to the language one has started learning from birth. One generally associates "mother" with "tongue" and "native" with "language" but it is sometimes found the other way round. "Language" and "tongue" are here synonyms.


I would say "mother" or "native" is not identical though. When using "native" the reference is more to the country/nation. When using "mother" the reference is to the parent (mother or father), which gives it a warmth and personal relationship that the word "native" doesn't have.


I've found a sentence that I think can explain what I mean about "native" and "mother" although native being used here in association with country:



As a parent living far from my native country I have often experienced the fear that my children would not learn their mother language well.



In this whole text the use of "mother tongue" is not identical and I doubt the person who wrote it would have used "native language" (or "native tongue") where she used "mother language".


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