# proto-language

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A language which is reconstructed by examining similarities in existing languages in order to deduce the form and aspects of a common ancestor language that is no longer known.
2. The early utterances produced by an infant before it acquires a true language.

## Etymology
From proto- + language.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/proto-language