matrix language

English

Noun

matrix language (plural matrix languages)

1. (linguistics) The dominant language in code-switching, into which elements of a secondary language are embedded, as opposed to the embedded language.
   • 2005 December, David Luna, Dawn Lerman, Lauren A. Peracchio, “Structural Constraints in Code-Switched Advertising”, in Journal of Consumer Research, volume 32, number 3, →DOI:

     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.