matrix language
noun1
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences The dominant language in code-switching, into which elements of a secondary language are embedded, as opposed to the embedded language.
- Because, in that case, most of the text is in English, we can say that the matrix language (ML) of the message is English and that the embedded language (EL) is Spanish.2005 December 23, David Luna, Dawn Lerman, Lauren A. Peracchio, “Structural Constraints in Code-Switched Advertising”, in Journal of Consumer Research, volume 32, number 3, →DOI: