speaking in tongues
Speaking in tongues (noun) means the practice, found mainly in Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, of praying or worshipping aloud in fluent speech-like sounds that the speaker does not understand and believes to be given by the Holy Spirit. Example: “Several people began speaking in tongues during the evening service.”
How to use speaking in tongues
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPraying out loud in sounds that are not a language the speaker knows.
Neutral and standard when describing worship. Believers usually call it the gift of tongues; scholars call it glossolalia.
Tongues here is the old sense of languages, as in the phrase mother tongue.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Several people began _____ during the evening service.
Etymology
A translation of the New Testament Greek phrase glossais lalein, 'to speak in tongues', from glossa 'tongue, language' and lalein 'to speak'. The noun glossolalia was later formed from the same roots.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for speaking in tongues
See all rhymes for speaking in tongues →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between speaking in tongues and glossolalia?
They describe the same phenomenon. Speaking in tongues is the religious and everyday term; glossolalia is the neutral academic one used in linguistics and psychology.
What is xenoglossy?
Xenoglossy is the claimed ability to speak a real foreign language one has never learned. Glossolalia, by contrast, does not correspond to any identified human language, which is what linguists who have analysed recordings report.
Which churches practise speaking in tongues?
Chiefly Pentecostal denominations and charismatic movements within Catholic, Anglican and other Protestant churches. Most other Christian traditions do not practise it, and views differ sharply on whether the gift continues today.
What is the meaning of speaking in tongues?
"speaking in tongues" (noun) means the practice, found mainly in Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, of praying or worshipping aloud in fluent speech-like sounds that the speaker does not understand and believes to be given by the Holy Spirit.