daughter language

noun

A language which genetically descends from an earlier parent language.

“English is a daughter language of Old English.”

Similar
daughter
OriginGerman Tochtersprache →
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Meanings

noundaughter language (plural daughter languages)

plural daughter languages

  1. human sciencesA language which genetically descends from an earlier parent language.

    English is a daughter language of Old English.

    1 more example

    French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese are daughter languages of Latin.

    Synonyms: daughter

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA language which genetically descends from an earlier parent language.

Similar
daughter

Origin

  1. GermanTochtersprache
  2. Englishdaughter language

Probably a calque of German Tochtersprache.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian дъщерен език
  • дъщерен език (dăšteren ezik)language which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Chinese Mandarin 派生語言 /派生语言
  • 派生語言 /派生语言language which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Dutch dochtertaal
  • dochtertaallanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Finnish tytärkieli
  • tytärkielilanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
French langue fille
  • langue fillelanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
German Tochtersprache
  • Tochtersprachelanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Hungarian utódnyelv, leánynyelv
  • utódnyelvlanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
  • leánynyelvlanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Malay bahasa turunan, bahasa warisan
  • bahasa turunanlanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
  • bahasa warisanlanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Persian زبان دختر
  • زبان دختر (zabân-e doxtar)language which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Polish język pochodny
  • język pochodnylanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Russian дочерний язык
  • дочерний язык (dočernij jazyk)language which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Swedish dotterspråk
  • dotterspråklanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Turkish yavru dil
  • yavru dillanguage which genetically descends from earlier, parent language
Cite this entry
APA

daughter language. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/daughter%20language

MLA

“daughter language.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/daughter%20language. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “daughter language,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/daughter%20language.

Source: daughter language on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.