LINGUA FRANCA


Meaning of LINGUA FRANCA in English

[ ˌlɪŋgwə'fraŋkə ]

■ noun ( plural ~s )

1》 a language used as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different.

2》 historical a mixture of Italian with French, Greek, Arabic, and Spanish, formerly used in the eastern Mediterranean.

Origin

C17: from Ital., lit. 'Frankish tongue'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.