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lin·go

(lĭnggō)

n. pl. lin·goes

The specialized vocabulary of a particular field or social group, especially when viewed as unfamiliar: computer lingo; the lingo of the local residents of the island; "the lingo that rough union guys used among themselves" (Philip Roth).

[Perhaps from Portuguese lingoa, tongue, language, or from Lingua Franca lingua, language; akin to Catalan llengua, Italian lingua, and Spanish lengua, tongue, language, all ultimately from Latin lingua; see dghū- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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