Standard Lemma guide

macrolanguage

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmækɹəʊˌlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Alternative spelling of macro language (“system for defining and processing macros”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A "language" by common usage, which is in fact a dialect continuum consisting of widely varying varieties that may be distinct languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A group of mutually intelligible speech varieties that have no traditional name in common, and which may be considered distinct languages by their speakers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A book-keeping device where – when a language as defined under the ISO 639-2 standard developed by the US Library of Congress, for the purpose of encoding the languages that published books are written in, does not correspond to a single language under the ISO 639-3 standard developed by the Summer Institute of Linguistics, for the purpose of listing all the world's languages in their publication Ethnologue – the ISO 639-2 language is assigned an ISO 639-3 code as a "macrolanguage".

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: international standards

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From macro + language.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh2ḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *mh2ḱrós Proto-Hellenic *makrós Ancient Greek μᾰκρός (măkrós)der. French macro-der. English macro- Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵhwéh2s Proto-Italic *dn̥ɣwā Latin dingua Latin lingua Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Vulgar Latin *linguāticum Old French languagebor. Middle English langage English language English macrolanguage From macro- + language.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Polish: makrojęzyk — dialect continuum
  • Vietnamese: ngôn ngữ vĩ mô — dialect continuum
  • Polish: makrojęzyk — group of mutually intelligible speech varieties that have no traditional name in common
  • Polish: makrojęzyk — book-keeping device by ISO
  • Spanish: macrolengua — book-keeping device by ISO
  • Spanish: macroidioma — book-keeping device by ISO
  • Vietnamese: ngôn ngữ vĩ mô — book-keeping device by ISO