What is the Latin word for tongue?

The usual Latin words for “tongue” are haesitō, lingua, sermō; also lingula, exāmen, lĭgŭla. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“tongue” in Latin

haesitōto remain fixed in place; to hesitate; to be uncertain linguathe tongue; a tongue, utterance, language, speech sermōa conversation, discussion; a rumor, diction, speech, talk, discourse; a language, manner of speaking lingulatongue, a narrow strip of land; tongue, a thong, flap, strap, or latchet of a shoe; lingula, a Roman unit of liquid meas exāmenswarm of bees; crowd; tongue of a balance; a consideration, an examining lĭgŭlaa little tongue impigeractive, energetic, diligent

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

tongue

PROP. The organ of speech, lingua. A stammering tongue, lingua titubans, haesitans: a ready tongue, lingua prompta (Marcus Tullius Cic.), impigra (Sall.); mobilitas linguae (Marcus Tullius Cic.): an unbridled tongue, lingua petulans: a boastful tongue, lingua largiloqua: to cut out anybody’s tongue, linguam alicui excidere: to cut the tongue (so as to set it free), linguam scalpello resectam liberare (Marcus Tullius Cic., Div., 2, 46, 96): to put or thrust out the tongue, linguam ejicere, exserere (Liv.): to hold the tongue (figuratively), linguam continere (Marcus Tullius Cic.); moderari (Sall.): to have anything upon one’s tongue (i. e., to be desirous to utter it, to be just on the point of saying it), velle aliquid proloqui; gestit animus aliquid eloqui: I have his name upon the tip of my tongue (but cannot remember and give utterance to it), nomen mihi versatur in primoribus labris; nomen intra labra atque dentes latet (the latter forced; Plaut.).

Language, lingua: sermo [Vid: LANGUAGE].

Of land (= a promontory), lingua, or, fully eminens in altum lingua (Liv., 44, 11): lingula (Caes., B.G., 3, 12, of which the fashionable pronunciation was ligula; Vid: Mar., 14, 120).

Of a balance, examen.

Of a buckle, lever, etc., ligula; also, acus in fibula (of a clasp or buckle, Trebell., Poll.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for tongue?: The usual Latin words for “tongue” are haesitō, lingua, sermō; also lingula, exāmen, lĭgŭla. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.