franca [noun] [U] - a language which is used for communication between groups of people who speak different languages but which is not used between members of the same groupLatin was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire.(figurative) Movies are the lingua franca (= way of communicating between different cultures) of the 20th century.
LINGUA
Meaning of LINGUA in English
Cambridge English vocab. Кембриджский английский словарь. 2012