The Greek word that mean both (the organ) “tongue” and “language” (glossa) allows for a word play in Acts 2. While English still has some traces of “tongue” also being used as “language” (such as in “mother tongue“) it is generally considered archaic in that use, although a number of modern English Bible translations (New International Version, Christian Standard Bible, English Standard Version) maintain “tongue” as the word for “language” in Acts 2:4.
Other languages have a more natural match between the words for “tongue” and “language”:
- Hungarian: nyelv
- Romanian: limbi
- Balkan Romani / Carpathian Romani / Vlax Romani: čhib (source for all above: Sari Gardner)
- Spanish: lengua
- Italian: lingua
- Portuguese: língua
- Catalan: llengüe
- Russian: yazyk (язык)
- Polish: język
- Turkish: dil
- Modern Greek: glossa (γλώσσα)
- Modern Hebrew: leshon (לָשׁוֹן)
- Latin: lingua