tongue
tongue
UK[tʌŋ]US[tʌŋ]
n
the soft, movable part in the mouth used for tasting, swallowing, and speaking.
n
a language or dialect.
n
something resembling a tongue in shape or function, such as a strip of leather under the laces of a shoe or a projecting strip on a board.
Etymology
the word "tongue" originates from the old english "tunge," which is derived from proto-germanic tungōn. this, in turn, can be traced back to the proto-indo-european root dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s, meaning "tongue." the semantic journey is remarkably direct, with the primary meaning of the physical organ remaining constant from its ancient roots. the metaphorical extension to mean "language" or "speech" is also ancient, appearing in many indo-european languages, demonstrating how an essential body part became the symbol for the faculty it enables.
Analysis
the word "tongue" is a simplex word of old english origin. it cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller morphemes within modern english spelling.
Examples
she burned her tongue on the hot soup.
english is his native tongue.
he tied the laces over the tongue of his boot.