Does Monolingual Mean One?

Where does monolingual come from? The word monolingual is composed of mono-, meaning “one” or “single,” and lingual, which means “pertaining to languages.” Lingual shares a root with other language-related words, like linguistics and linguaphile.

Whats does monolingual mean?

English Language Learners Definition of monolingual

: able to speak and understand only one language. : using or expressed in only one language.

Is it good to be monolingual?

According to a study on lexical access, monolinguals often maintain a wider vocabulary in a target language relative to a comparable bilingual, and that increases the efficiency of word retrieval in monolinguals. Monolinguals also access words more often than bilinguals in a target language.

Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova

Lead Health, Wellness & Medical Journalist

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.