Showing posts with label language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label language. Show all posts

Thursday, September 18, 2014

language, languish

Language or language means the body of words and their grammatical rules, common to a set of people--
Travel is easier if you can speak the language of the country you're visiting.
He wants to study a foreign language, but he's not sure which one.

Language may also mean a style or type of communication or verbal expression--
His use of language is distinctive; I'd recognize it without a signature.
Some scientists believe that the bees have a language of their own.
Watch your language!

Languish or languish means to become weak or to droop, particularly from neglect, literally or figuratively--
She's afraid the garden will languish if she doesn't take care of it herself.
Don't let them languish for want of attention; go and talk to them.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He was unable to speak the language, and so he began to languish, socially, for want of someone to talk to."