Partially or completely losing the first language or a second language is known as what?

• A. Subtractive bilingualism
• B. Suprasegmentals
• C. Simplification
• D. Segmental

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is subtractive bilingualism, which describes a situation where the second language becomes dominant to the extent that the first language is gradually lost or no longer used. This can happen when schooling, media, and daily life center on the second language, leading to attrition of the first language—partial or even complete. It’s about language replacement, not simply learning or using multiple languages.

The other terms don’t fit this idea. Suprasegmentals refers to prosody features like intonation and rhythm that extend beyond individual sounds. Segmental concerns the actual phonemes and letters of a language. Simplification describes learners reducing linguistic complexity as they acquire a language, not the loss of one language in favor of another.