Tongue

As a symbol, the tongue represents the voice of the deity, which usually is the manifestation of a powerful voice. It also represents preaching.
The tongue can also be a symbol for a serpent, and a phallic symbol.

Common meanings as a symbol:

Speech and Communication The tongue most obviously symbolizes the power of language itself - our ability to name, describe, and shape reality through words. It represents human communication, dialogue, and the bridge between inner thought and outer expression.

Truth and Deception The tongue embodies this fundamental duality. A "forked tongue" means lies and duplicity, while "speaking truth" requires the tongue. It symbolizes our capacity for both honesty and manipulation, revelation and concealment. The tongue can build trust or destroy it.

Power and Danger "The tongue is mightier than the sword" captures its symbolic power. Proverbs across cultures warn that the tongue, though small, can cause enormous damage - starting wars, destroying reputations, breaking hearts. It symbolizes how words wound as deeply as weapons.

Taste and Discernment Beyond literal taste, the tongue represents judgment, discrimination, and refined sensibility. Having "good taste" or being a "connoisseur" uses tongue symbolism to suggest developed perception and wisdom in evaluation.

Spiritual Expression In religious contexts, the tongue symbolizes prayer, prophecy, and divine communication. "Speaking in tongues" represents spiritual ecstasy and direct communion with the divine. The tongue becomes the instrument through which the sacred enters the world.

Shame and Humiliation Sticking out the tongue is mockery; having one's tongue cut out represents silencing and violation. In some traditions, the exposed tongue symbolizes punishment, defeat, or the consequences of speaking wrongly.

Sensuality and Desire The tongue's role in kissing and intimacy makes it a symbol of erotic pleasure, passion, and physical connection. It represents appetite in both literal and metaphorical senses.

Uncontrollable Nature "Slips of the tongue" and the difficulty of "holding your tongue" symbolize how hard it is to control what we say - the tongue represents impulse, the unconscious breaking through, secrets we cannot keep.

The tongue ultimately symbolizes the profound responsibility of speech: our words create worlds, forge bonds, inflict wounds, and reveal who we truly are.