1. A language that was spoken or used before another language; a language that preceded the current one in a sequence or timeline
Spanish was the previous language before English became dominant in the region.
O espanhol era a língua anterior antes do inglês se tornar dominante na região.
2. In linguistic or educational contexts, the language one knew or studied before learning a new one
Students often transfer skills from their previous language to their current language of study.
Os alunos frequentemente transferem habilidades da sua língua anterior para a língua que estão estudando atualmente.