tongue

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a manner of speaking

   They spoke with a thick tongue.

2. 2
   noun

   any long thin projection that is transient

   tongues of flame licked at the walls

3. 3
   noun

   The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is used to move food around, for tasting and that is moved into various positions to modify the flow of air from the lungs in order to produce different sounds in speech.

   But lering and lurking here and there like ſpies,

4. 4
   noun

   Such an organ, as taken from animals and used for food (especially from cows).

   cold tongue with mustard

5. 5
   noun

   A language.

   He was speaking in his native tongue.

6. 6
   noun

   The speakers of a language, collectively.

   I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

7. 7
   noun

   A voice, (the distinctive sound of a person's speech); accent (distinctive manner of pronouncing a language).

   Who are you? Tell me, for more certainty, Albeit I’ll swear that I do know your tongue.

8. 8
   noun

   A manner of speaking, often habitually.

   Al maters wel pondred and wel to be regarded, How ſhuld a fals lying tung then be rewarded?

Etymology

From Middle English tongue, a late spelling of tong(e), tung(e), from Old English tunge, from Proto-West Germanic *tungā (“tongue”), from Proto-Germanic *tungǭ (“tongue”), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue”). Cognate with Dutch tong (“tongue”), German Zunge (“tongue”), Danish and Norwegian tunge (“tongue”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Swedish tunga (“tongue”), Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌲𐌲𐍉 (tuggō, “tongue”), Irish teanga (“tongue”), Asturian and Catalan llengua (“tongue”), Aragonese luenga (“tongue”), French langue (“tongue”), Galician and Latin lingua (“tongue”), Leonese llingua (“tongue”), Mirandese…