bilingual:

(also ‘bilingualist‘; plural: ‘bilinguals‘; pronunciation: the letters ‘bi’ rhyme with the word “buy”)

‘bi’ = two; ‘lingual’ = language

a person who can speak a second language as well as his mother tongue;

a person who can speak two languages with equal fluency or skill,

e.g.

In Asian countries, most people are bilinguals; they speak their mother tongue and a language from another state or region or a foreign language.

Most educated bilinguals work as translators for book publishers, as interpreters to visiting businessmen or politicians and also in customs and immigration offices.

‘Bilingual’ is more commonly used as an adjective to refer to something related to or expressed in ‘two languages’, e.g. ‘bilingual parents’, i.e. mother from on country and father from another country; ‘bilingual dictionaries’ i.e entry words and definitions given in two languages; ‘bilingual notices’ i.e. notices posted in two different languages, etc.

Clarification:

1. Monolingual: related to only one language — e.g. a monolingual dictionary — English to English

2. Bilingual: related to two languages — e.g. a bilingual dictionary — English to French or Dutch or any other language

3. Trilingual: related to three languages — e.g a trilingual announcement — English, Spanish and Arabic

4. Multilingual: related to several languages — e.g. a multilingual instruction manual — English, German, Hindi, Arabic.

Compare: polyglot
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About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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